


Poe's Masquerade

by undersmoke



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Emotional, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Jealousy, Love, Love Triangles, Metaverse (Persona 5), Mild Sexual Content, Plot, References to Depression, Relationship(s), Teasing, Violence, non-canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-01 21:36:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10930506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undersmoke/pseuds/undersmoke
Summary: Trips to the Metaverse get tense when Makoto becomes jealous over Akira and Ann's newfound relationship, causing a strain among the Phantom Thieves and a distorted heart. Now caught in a deadly love triangle, will Akira make amends or further complicate his rehabilitation?





	1. The Advantages of Having a Window Seat

Light rain splashed on the window in classroom 2-D at Shujin Academy. It’s been raining for at least a week now. Akira glimpsed out the window, watching the water drops paint it. The gentle way the water clings on to the window and beads down reminded him of how Yusuke paints. Getting the window seat at school certainly comes with its advantages. Advantage number one: Akira loved getting a nice view to zone out to. When a subject in school disinterested him, it was the perfect time for him to look out at the Tokyo skyline and at the sea of people who need justice or their heart's changed. Sometimes, Akira can’t help but smile a little bit when he looks out this particular window. Knowing what he and his friends do outside of school makes him insanely proud. Suddenly, Akira remembered something he hasn’t thought about in quite some time. When he first arrived at Shujin, he looked out this exact window and thought to himself that he would surely be a nobody. He thought he was destined to be the outsider that no one would even touch with a ten-foot pole. But now, he’s looking out this rainy window as a Phantom Thief. One of Japan’s most talked about phenomenon. He couldn’t help but smile again.

“So, Mr. Kurusu…”

Akira snapped out of his daydream and back into Mrs. Chouno’s English class. He jolts and sits up straight, staring directly at Mrs. Chouno’s disapproving expression. Akira should be used to getting called out all the time by teachers, but this time truly came as a shock.

“Since we’ve been talking about the importance of appearances, which one of Edgar Allen Poe’s works has the most symbolic use of color?”

Akira relaxed. It can’t be _that_ easy.

“ _The Masque of Red Death._ ” Akira said confidently.

“Yes!” Mrs. Chouno exclaimed as she clapped her hands excitingly. The other students in the class instantly begin to murmur amongst themselves. Whispers of “Did he really know that!?” and “Man, that transfer kid is more than he puts on…” hit Akira’s ears, but he’s learned to drown them out. Morgana popped his head from under Akira’s desk.

“Wow, you must be really knowledgeable to know that!” He whispered. Akira blushed slightly. He never thought of himself a genius or anything. He also felt he knew just enough to get by. Although, he has noticed that being in the Metaverse and becoming a Phantom Thief has sharpened his wits a bit.

As Mrs. Chouno shushed the other students, a familiar girl with blonde hair turned her head and glimpsed at Akira, giving a soft smile as a way of saying “way to go!”. Akira smiled back, almost as cocky and sly as he is in the Metaverse. Ann couldn’t help but snicker a bit as she turned her head back to the teacher.

Advantage number two: sitting behind your girlfriend. Akira and Ann haven’t been dating long and they have no intentions of letting the whole school know just yet. The only people that do know is their closest friends, of course. Akira could still think back to when they broke the news to the others. It wasn’t that big of a shock as they had expected. He still has the text messages to prove it.

> _Ryuji: I totally called it, ya know!_
> 
> _Ann: Yeah, right._
> 
> _Yusuke: Oh my, how wonderful! I have always felt that your bond was something quite special. I am happy for you both._
> 
> _Makoto: This isn’t going to interfere with your studies, is it?_
> 
> _Makoto: _Just kidding. Congratulations, you two.__
> 
> __Futaba: <3_ _
> 
> __Haru: Oh my gosh! This is so adorable!_ _
> 
> _Ryuji: Hey, how about we celebrate? For the happy new couple!_
> 
> _Ann: Ryuji, it’s not like we’re getting married!_
> 
> _Ryuji: I know! But I’ve been craving sushi lately._

The least surprising reaction was Morgana’s. Akira and Ann both knew they had to break it to the poor cat that his precious Lady Ann was now taken. They even considered not telling him at all. Once Akira and Ann eventually broke it to him, Morgana secluded himself under Akira’s bed for two days straight. Akira heard constant sniffling and groans late at night. Of course, he felt terrible, but Morgana eventually was on speaking terms with him.

“Lady Ann looked at you, didn’t she?” Morgana whispered sternly from under his desk. Akira simply looked down, a sly grin plastered on his face.

“You’re smiling like a goofball. You better be lucky to have Lady Ann’s hand.” Morgana huffed.  

Damn right I am, Akira thought. It's times like this where he swears he was born under a lucky star. Though, it does concern him at times. Things have been going well for him so far. Almost _too_ well. He's been closer to his friends than ever before, the one girl he fell for at first sight was now his girlfriend, and Tokyo now believes in the Phantom Thieves more and more with each stolen heart. Despite all this, he waited anxiously for the day where his luck will run out. He may be a bit skeptical of the fortune-telling Chihaya does, but luck is something Akira would like to keep on his side.

Just when Mrs. Chouno finished up her lecture on Poe's _Red_ _Masque_ ,the bell rang. Students rushed out the door, ready to head to their extracurricular activities or simply go home. The only stragglers left were Ann, Akira, and a few others from the cross-country team. Ann swung her whole body over to Akira as she packed up her notebooks. 

"Is Boss still okay with me coming over tomorrow?"

Akira nodded. Ann's crystal blue eyes lit up. "Great! See you then." 

"Yeah, see you." Akira softly smiled as he hurriedly shoved Morgana into his backpack.

"Hey! Watch what you're--!" Morgana mewed rather loudly. His angry cries become muffled as Akira stepped out of the classroom.


	2. Morgana, The True Gentleman

"Yo!"

Ryuji grinned as Akira approached him in the hallway outside classroom 2-D.

"Hey." Akira softly smiled. 

"So, what are we doin'? Meeting up at the hideout or...?"

"The hideout's occupied for tomorrow."

"Huh?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow. 

"Ann and I have... _plans_ there..." Akira phrased, hoping he would catch his drift. 

"Well, why can't we--" Ryuji's eyes suddenly go wide. "Oh!"

Akira nodded, smirking. Ryuji gives a big toothy grin.

"I get ya, I get ya. Go get'em, tiger!" Ryuji enthusiastically patted Akira's shoulder. Akira couldn't help but chuckle.

"Better go make sure you're prepared, lover boy."

"The hell does that mean?" Akira replied. 

"You know Ann, gets all worried and shit." Ryuji shrugged. "Next thing ya know she'll get all flustered,  _'Oh Akira! S-S-Slow down! I-I've never done this before!'"_ Ryuji did his best Ann impression. Akira shouldn't laugh, but it was pretty spot on. Morgana popped out of Akira’s backpack and gave Ryuji the most menacing death glare a cat could give.

“Hey! Don’t you dare talk about Lady Ann like that!”

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Ryuji snickered at the cat. “You need to just let go, Morgana. She’s waaaaay out of your league now.”

Morgana huffed and retreated into the backpack. Akira rolled his eyes. Ryuji calms down and leans against the wall.  

"Well, I guess it's back to the gym for me. Let me know whenever you're free, man." 

Akira nodded.

"I mean, not like you're gonna be free for a while. Ann's totally gonna whip you, dude." Ryuji smirks. 

"You're just jealous.” Akira replied with a cocky smile.

"Well, yeah, maybe." Ryuji blushes slightly, looking down at the floor. "I don't know, she strikes me as the possessive type. Glad you can put up with her at least."

"You make it seem like you don't likeher." Akira said, adjusting his glasses.

"Come on, 'ya know I'm kiddin'. Besides, the only whipping she's gonna do is in the Metaverse, right?" Ryuji had another big grin on his face.

Akira laughed at the dumb joke.

“Anyways, see ya. Oh, and I think I heard Makoto saying she wanted to see you or something.”

“What for?” Akira raised an eyebrow. He found it rather strange that Makoto wouldn’t just text him if she needed him.

Ryuji shrugged as he walked away. “Hell if I know. Mrs. Class President’s got business with ‘ya or some shit. See ya’.” Ryuji gave one final wave before going down the hall. Morgana’s head popped out of Akira’s backpack again.

“Hmm. I wonder what Makoto wants. Wanna go see her?”

“Guess I have no choice, huh?” Akira replied.

“She’s probably going to ask why we haven’t been infiltrating Mementos lately. We’re getting requests like there’s no tomorrow.”

Akira sighed. He felt kinda bad how Mishima is busting his ass dealing with requests on the Phan-Site while the team has been procrastinating a bit. Akira had a feeling that Makoto will get on him for slacking off and use Ann as the prime example. It’s not that Akira valued Ann over changing the hearts of others, but the constant stress of being put into near death situations in the Metaverse has been taking a toll on him lately. With that in mind, he couldn’t wait to relieve some of that stress with Ann tomorrow night. He rented a cheesy rom-com movie and bought Ann’s favorite snacks in the whole wide world; chocolate truffles and matcha pudding. Most importantly, however, Akira bought a very special gift from the Shibuya Underground Mall. If this doesn’t make Ann fall in love with him all over again, nothing will. He softly grinned again.

“You’re smiling again.” Morgana sighed. “Why do I have the feeling you’re up to no good?”. Akira simply smirked at him, then made his way up the stairs to the Student Council Room.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me! What are you going to do with Lady Ann?” Morgana tried to sound demanding, but it’s hard to take his boy-ish meows seriously.

“Relax. It’s just a sleepover.” Akira said as he turned down the corner, past the school library.

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Morgana scoffed.

“What are you so worried about?”

“Everything…” The cat sulked and sank deeper into Akira’s backpack. Akira shook his head and knocked on the Student Council door.

“Come in!” An authoritative, yet cheery voice rung out. Akira helped himself in. Makoto stood near the end of a long table, organizing files and putting them in her backpack. Her face was as stern as ever. She tended to look like that when she’s focusing on something rather important. Makoto looked over at Akira and her tense face slowly warmed into a pleasant smile. If only the other students at Shujin Academy could see this side of Makoto Nijima, Akira thought. The Makoto that most students know is the bossy, uptight Student Council President who was Principal Kobayakawa’s star pupil (or “his bitch” as some of the more low-brow male students would say). However, the Phantom Thieves saw Makoto Niijima completely different. To them, she’s a valuable part of the team. A calm, level-headed, and caring strategist who’s no-nonsense behavior has saved them in multiple high-stress situations.

“Hey there.” She nodded.

“Hey. Ryuji said you needed me?”

“He did?” Makoto slung her backpack over her shoulder. “He must have heard me mention you in passing. Well, since you’re here, I’ve been meaning to ask you something…” She looked away from Akira.

Akira expected to give a long-winded explanation as to why the Phantom Thieves have been out of commission for almost a week. But he was surprised to see Makoto step a little closer to him.

“Are you doing anything tomorrow? There’s a lot of things I need off my chest. Maybe we could go to Shibuya or even Shinjuku if you’d like.” There was a slight blush on Makoto’s face. She couldn’t even keep eye contact as she spoke. It must be something immensely personal.

“Sorry, but Ann and I had plans for tomorrow…” Akira adjusted his glasses.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I should’ve been more considerate.” She looked at the ground, taking a small step back.

“You’re fine. Maybe another time? I’d love to spend time with you.” Akira replied.

Makoto warmly smiled again. “Thank you. I appreciate that. You two have fun. But not for too long! We still have to do our duties as Phantom Thieves.”

Akira nods, chuckling. “Yes, Mrs. Nijima”

Makoto’s light blush appeared again. “Please, no formalities. We’ve been over this.”

“Okay, Makoto” Akira slyly grinned. “So, how’s your quest coming along?”

“Q-Quest?” Makoto stared confusingly.

“Your quest to be human?”

“I’m not a robot, Akira! I’m simply trying to understand our students better.” Makoto tried to sound “matter-of-fact” but Akira could see right past her blush.

A while ago, Akira made a deal with Makoto to help her understand what students do outside of school. So far, they have gone to the arcade, done karaoke, and even visited the Red-Light District in Shinjuku. The funniest encounter was watching Makoto trying to fathom why anyone would try to eat the burger challenges at Big Bang Burger. They used to go out together weekly, but of course, Phantom Thief duties and Akira’s new-found relationship has put a stop to it recently. Akira enjoyed seeing Makoto open up more. He never expected to be this close to the Student Body President be barely knew at the beginning of this year.

“Well, anyway, I’ll see you later. Let me know the next time we’re all meeting up.” Makoto made her way out the door. “Lock the door when you leave, please.”

“See you.” Akira nodded. As Makoto left, Morgana popped out from Akira’s backpack again.

“Is it just me, or did Makoto seem a little…off?” he mewed.

“Huh? She seemed fine to me.”

“Ugh. How you swept Lady Ann is beyond me.” Morgana rolled his eyes.

“And what does that mean?” Akira started getting fed up by Morgana’s constant nagging.

“Makoto was clearly bothered by something and you didn’t even bother to ask what. A true gentleman must care to a lady’s needs!”

“That’s very sweet, coming from a cat.” Akira replied cooly.

Morgana simply huffed at his comment.

“I know Makoto. Nothing ever bothers her for too long. Besides, I said I’d meet up with her at some point, right?”

“I suppose you did…" Morgana said, defeated. “I guess you’re a little bit of a gentleman.”

“More than Ryuji, right?” Akira smirked, heading for the door.

“Oh, that goes without saying!” the cat exclaimed.

“Don’t tell him I said that.” Akira said as he left the Student Council room.


	3. Black Coffee in Bed

Akira laid on his bed, waiting impatiently. The rain outside hasn’t gotten any better. He glimpsed out the window. The light rain from earlier today has now turned into a mini-storm. The raindrops attacked the attic window with relentless fury. The rain helped muffle the loud rattling of coffee cups and plates downstairs, in-between Sojiro’s grunts. Sojiro has been complaining about the rain all day.

“I don’t get any customers when it rains.” He grumbled when Akira came back from school today. “I don’t get it. Wouldn’t someone want a nice cup of coffee on a rainy night? I would.”

Morgana was stretching and licking himself next to Akira.

“What’s taking Lady Ann so long?” He yawned.

Akira shrugged. He looked at his phone. No messages at all. He tapped on Ann’s profile picture and texted her.

> _Akira: Hey, you okay?_

Just as he was about to put his phone back down, it buzzed. He quickly looked at it.

> _Ann: Yeah, sorry. Just trying to find my umbrella._
> 
> _Akira: It’s taking you this long to find an umbrella?_
> 
> _Ann: I was picking out pajamas as well._
> 
> _Akira: Why not nothing at all?_
> 
> _Ann: Stop it, you perv!_

“Akira!” A voice booms from below. “Hey, come down here for a minute.”

Akira jumped out of his bed and strolled down the creaky, wooden stairs. Sojiro was behind the bar counter, putting on his hat and coat.

“Alright, I’m closing up shop. I wanna lay down some ground rules, okay?” He eyed Akira like another yakuza punk. Akira never bothered. He knew somewhere deep down in that cold, rough core, Sojiro enjoyed his company. After all, he’s probably in great debt to Akira for helping his shut-in daughter finally enjoy the real world.

“First off, you two can only be upstairs. Downstairs is off limits. I know you wanna impress your girl with your coffee skills but this isn’t the place for it. Understood?”

Akira nodded.

“Second off, keep things quiet. I don’t want any noise complaints from the neighbors. And on that note, no other friends allowed, okay?”

Akira nodded again.

“Third…” Sojiro’s face cracked a small grin. “Enjoy your time together.”

Akira smiled as well. “Thanks Sojiro, I really appreciate—“

Sojiro put a hand up. “Save it. I’ll be at my house if you need me.”

Suddenly, the door swung open. Ann stepped in, still wearing her Shujin Academy uniform. She closed her designer umbrella and rolled in a small pink suitcase. She looked over to Sojiro and perked up with a smile.

“Hey Boss!” She chimed. Sojiro simply smiled and nodded to her.

“Don’t burn the place down, you two.” He chuckled and headed out the door.

“We won’t! I’ll make sure of it.” Ann stepped aside for Sojiro to leave. As the old man opened the door, he took one last glimpse at Akira and winked before closing the door and disappearing into the rain.

Ann walked up to her lover and hugged him. “Sorry I took so long.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Akira replied as he lifted Ann’s suitcase. “Allow me.”

“Such a gentleman~” She crooned.

The two walked up the stairs to the attic. Morgana was already asleep on the bed. Akira put Ann’s suitcase near the edge of the bed and shook the cat’s furry body to wake him up.

“Hey. Our favorite lady is here.”

Morgana’s eyes groggily opened in front of Akira but the moment he laid eyes on Ann, he jumped right up on all fours.

“L-Lady Ann! You’ve arrived!”

“Hey Morgana. Taking a _cat_ -nap?” Ann laughed at her own cheesy pun.

“W-Well, since I’m not a cat, I guess it was more of a _human_ -nap, right!? Ha ha!” Morgana awkwardly chuckled. No one else was laughing but him. He blushed.

“That…came out sounding stupid, didn't it?” He looked down, defeated.

“You’ve got all night to come up with better jokes.” Akira said, opening the attic window and gesturing him to leave. The cat sighed.

“Look, I know we agreed that I would leave you two alone, but look! It’s raining outside!” He whined.

“Then go to Futaba’s room. I'm sure she needs the company.” Akira replied simply. Morgana sighed and looked down at the bed, twirling his paw.

“Aww, I’m sorry, Mona.” Ann kneeled to Morgana to softly pet him. “It’s just for tonight, we promise. You can come back first thing tomorrow morning.”

Morgana immediately lightened up by Ann’s gentle touch. He softly purred and smiled contently. He then sighed and suddenly jumped to the window sill. “I’ll do it for you, Lady Ann!”

Ann nodded, smiling. Morgana gave one last sigh and jumped out the window. “See you tomorrow! And Lady Ann! If he does anything funny with you, holler for me!” his meows echoed through the backstreets. Akira shut the window quickly.

“I thought he’d never leave.” He smirked at Ann.

“Hey, he’s a nice guy…cat…thing…”

Akira put his arms around Ann and gently kissed her. Her face lightly blushed as she kissed back. They embraced as if they haven’t seen each other for a while.

“I missed this, you know. It’s so hard keeping this a secret from the other students.” Ann admitted.

“Have you told Shiho, at least?”

“Of course, she’s my best friend. She deserved to know.”

Akira held her hands. “I’m glad you did. Is she doing well?”

Ann nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes. In fact, when I told her we were dating, she gave me the biggest smile. I haven’t seen her smile like that in a long time.” Her ocean blue eyes lit up as she spoke.

Akira looked into Ann’s eyes and grinned. He was reminded of how those eyes captivated him when he first saw her. He remembered that day almost beat for beat. Not only was it the first day of classes, it was the day where Akira found his true calling to become a Phantom Thief. But even before Akira accidentally stepped into Kamoshida’s Place with Ryuji and became entranced by the Metaverse, he was entranced by a pair of beautiful crystal blue eyes on a rainy day. He’ll never forget the way she first looked at him. It was a harmless, passing glance between two strangers, but Akira could feel a strong force from her gaze. The force was alluring, passionate, and almost comforting. It was a force unlike anything he had felt up to that point. Akira had always been skeptical of fate, especially the kind that Chihaya preaches, but seeing her strong gaze almost made him a believer.

And now, Akira is holding that girl in his arms. The girl with the beautiful blue eyes that was just a stranger to him was now his girlfriend and partner in crime. He learned so much about this stranger in such a short time. He learned that this stranger had a name: Ann Takamaki. He learned that she was a teen model who had the most drive and determination that Akira had ever seen. He learned her faults, weaknesses, strengths, and quirks all in a school year. Most importantly, however, he learned that Ann was a vital part of the Phantom Thieves. Her energy and perseverance is infectious. She has always been the one to root for everyone on the team, even at their lowest point. Ann was the pep-talker the team always needed. It’s hard to imagine the Phantom Thieves without her bubbling energy.

“Oh, before I forget. I have a gift for you.” Akira said as he gave her one quick kiss then rummaged through the shelves next to his bed. He pulled out a colorful box of chocolate truffles and a small green carton of matcha pudding.

Ann’s eyes lit up for a moment but then sulked as she sighed depressingly.

“What’s wrong? Wrong brand?”

Ann shook her head. “I really appreciate it, but I really need to watch my weight.”

“It’s okay.” Akira shrugged it off.

“No, it’s not! You spent your hard-earned money on me. I feel terrible.”

“Ann, it’s completely okay. I’ll just have more for me then.” Akira’s smile reassures her. “Besides, this isn’t the gift I was talking about…” Akira walked over to the workbench across his bed.

“H-Huh?” Ann looked at him, confused. Akira opened a small drawer on the workbench and pulled out a palm-sized beige box. He proudly gives it to Ann. She looked at the box as if it was a Shadow about to jump at her. Without saying another word, she carefully took it from his hand and slowly opened it.

She gasped.

Her hands trembled a bit.

Inside the palm-sized box was a gorgeous heart shaped rose gold necklace from a rather pricey jewelry store at the Shibuya Underground Mall.

“O-o-oh my god…It’s the one I’ve always wanted!” Ann is at a loss for words. Small tears form on the corners of her blue eyes.

“You like it?” Akira simply smirked at her. Suddenly, Akira ended up being slammed on the bed by a great force with Ann on top of him. She had bear hugged him so fast that Akira lost his balance and let the bed cushion their fall.

“I love, love, _LOVE_ it, Akira. Oh my god! How did you get this?” Ann hurriedly tried to put it around her neck. Akira helped her.

“Worked overtime for it. Now we don’t have to keep stopping to look at it at the mall.” He kissed her hand like a princess. Ann held on to the necklace on her neck lovingly. She then shifted her loving gaze to Akira. Her deep blue eyes pierced Akira’s soul.

“Akira…I love you. Thank you.” She said softly and sensuously.

“No need. I love you too.” Akira smiled. “So, wanna watch the movie?”

“Fuck the movie.” She said bluntly and kissed Akira passionately without warning. It took Akira by complete surprise. As they kissed, the two shifted on the bed, got comfortable, and held each other in a loving embrace.

Ann broke away from Akira’s lips. “You’re my light, Akira. I love you.”

“I love you too, Ann.” He replied softly.

"Let's just stay like this all night..." Ann tightened her arms around his body.

They kissed again, moving their bodies closer under the covers.


	4. Cheap Mementos

Makoto Niijima, the revered Student Body Council president of Shujin Academy and sister to head prosecutor Sae Niijima, is now hiding her head under a pillow to the point of tears.

 _How pathetic_. _Crying over something so trivial. Get a grip, you spineless brat._

She groaned and tried to think of happier thoughts but it was no use. She curled up into a fetal position under the covers.

_This is embarrassing. Is this how a Niijima should act? Do you see your sister doing this? This is why SHE is successful and YOU are WORTHLESS!_

 “No…” she softly cried as she tightened her grip on the bed sheets.

“I’m not worthless…”

_Then prove it!_

“I-I’m with the Phantom Thieves. T-They—“

_Enough of that! Do you honestly think they need you!?_

“O-of course they do! I’m their lead strategist!”

_Yeah, and how many times do they actually listen to you?_

Makoto went quiet. She was right. Just how many times do they listen to her advice and then diverge into another plan? The team has been in way too many close calls because they didn’t follow everything she said. She just wished they would listen for once.

_No matter what you say or how loud you say it, your leader always had the final say._

It was true. Joker was the one who typically ended up making the decisions. Although Queen trusted Joker’s instincts, deep down she wished that he wasn’t so quick to jump the gun.

_Hell, your leader has been ignoring you anyway. Really shows how useful you are, huh?_

Makoto tightened her grip again.

_Just get over him._

She sighed and put her head on the pillow. She stared at the ceiling and quickly wiped the small tears brewing from her eyes. No, she couldn’t get over Akira. Not after all that he’s done for her. Those days when Akira would take her around Tokyo were some of the happiest she’s ever had. Not only was it beneficial for her “quest to become human” (as Akira put it), it was wonderful to spend time with someone who had no pre-conceived notions about her. She couldn’t imagine anyone but Akira to show her a world outside Shujin Academy.

Makoto laid on her left side. Why on earth was she feeling like this? Why so sudden? It makes absolutely no sense. Is she lonely? That’s impossible. She has plenty of new-found friends to turn to. So why does she feel so empty? She hasn’t felt like this in a very long time.

She looked over to her plain dresser. She was never one to decorate her room, however, there is one thing that stands out amongst her dull, plain abode. A colorful little teddy bear sits on her dresser. It’s a cheap plush toy of a bear with an annoying big grin on its face and an even more annoying color scheme. It’s body is a hideous shade of pink while it’s eyes are bright orange (two colors that should never go together, according to Makoto). In any other situation, she would’ve thrown this piece of trash out in a heartbeat. It’s odd to see such a childish and disposable toy in the great Makoto Niijima’s room, but she just doesn’t have the heart to throw it away. Makoto sighed. Looking at that hideous bear triggered a memory that has stuck with her for quite some time…

About a few months ago, Makoto asked Akira if he would take her to Akihabara. She had heard so much about the so-called “electric town” from other Shujin students that she would like to see it for herself. To her, it would’ve been a great opportunity for her to see what typical students were interested in, since she was never a trend-follower or an otaku. Akira delightfully agreed. One train ride later, they ended up right in the middle of the colorful, neon-tinged district. Akira showed her the multiple department stores where students typically buy magazines, manga, and other merchandise. It was a very eye-opening experience for her, who’s hobbies only included studying and the occasional times where she had to cook for herself. For the rest of the night, she was open to anything and everything. Akira even encouraged her to go to a maid café, which was a confusing experience for her. But it didn’t matter because Akira was not only her companion but her guiding light through it all. They laughed, discussed, got to know each-other better, and most importantly, had fun. For some reason, at Akihabara, Makoto felt as alive as the bright neon signs that illuminated the streets.

To close out the night, Akira took her to a local arcade filled with claw machines. Makoto played her first claw machine that night. She didn’t expect how difficult they were. Akira started helping her after her third failed attempt. He showed her small tips and tricks that genuinely surprised her. Using her cunning strategies, and with Akira’s help, she was able to finally win a prize: the ugly teddy bear now sitting on her bedroom shelf. Akira was ecstatic to see her win. His enthusiasm was rather infectious. When Makoto won, she hugged him with all her might, screaming “We did it!”. She expected to hear him respond with the typical “you’re welcome” or “well, I did most of the work”. But instead, what Akira told her truly shocked her and continues to linger on her mind to this day. He pulled away from her, looked her in the eyes and said “No. _You_ did it.” While giving a soft, gentle smile. Those four simple words meant everything to her. It was everything she ever wanted to hear, as if Akira was psychic. And the gentle smile that he gave afterwards meant that he was earnest.

Her heart fluttered for a moment. Her cheeks blushed. She was completely speechless. All she could focus on was Akira’s assuring grin. Makoto couldn’t even remember what happened the rest of the day. She didn’t even know how she made it home. That single moment in front of the claw machine haunted her. Sae even commented that she looked like she had seen a ghost. In a sense, Makoto did. She saw the ghost of who she used to be disappear before her very eyes. And this cheesy looking teddy bear with horrendous colors was proof of it.

Tears streamed down Makoto’s face as she looked at the bear. Goddamn it. She promised herself this wouldn’t happen again. She quietly got up from her bed and to the dresser. She gently grabbed the stuffed doll and returned to her bed. Like a child, she held it dear to her as she curled up under the blankets yet again. Suddenly, it felt as if the bear was emitting some kind of warmth. Like the warmth of Christmas Day. It soothed her entire body and calmed her nerves. Though, this cheap piece of fabric and stuffing just wasn’t enough. She yearned for a certain someone to be in her arms instead…

_Just get over him._

“Never...” She whispered.


	5. Silent Echoes

Ann softly woke up to the aroma of coffee and curry. Sojiro must have breakfast ready for them. The morning sun peeked through the attic window, casting a small shine on Akira’s soft face. She looked over to her partner. The sun cast an almost angelic glow on him. Ann couldn’t help but smile. She always referred to Akira as her “light” and it’s not just a cute pet-name either.

Before meeting Akira, Ann was like a ship lost at sea. She let others control who she was and simply accepted it without a second thought. She felt as if she was invisible. All she was to the world was a pretty face and nothing else. This was one of the big reasons she took up modeling. If all she was to the world was a hot girl, she might as well make a living out of it. Ann convinced herself that modeling would save her from her rut. And it did temporarily. It was nice to be recognized by random people on the street. But that’s the problem. They were just random citizens who only knew her face and name (and other parts of her body, which embarrassed Ann occasionally). No one knew who she really was. No one knew about her sporadic past, her troubled present, or her dicey future. This is how the horrible rumors about her started at Shujin Academy. Accusations of her being a “dumb, foreign slut” began running rampant. It was heartbreaking for her. She spent many days alone in her bedroom almost balling her eyes out. The only person she could reach out to was Shiho, who was her only friend at Shujin at that time. But Shiho had her problems as well, which Ann ended up getting involved in. From there, the rumors only got worse. At Shujin, she was no longer Ann Takamaki. She was “Kamoshida’s bitch”. That’s all she was to the world and she foolishly accepted it without a struggle.

When rumors began to spread that a “juvenile delinquent” was transferring to Shujin, Ann quickly turned a blind eye. She already knew how hideous this school could get with rumors. She still remembered when Akira first introduced himself to her class. In walked a tall, soft-faced boy with pale eyes and a blank expression, not some Ryuji-type tough boy. She knew right off the bat that this poor kid couldn’t hurt a fly. He looked too humble, gentle, and soft-spoken. She also sensed a pain his eyes. He looked like he was hurting on the inside. He barely looked at the students in his class when he introduced himself. Ann could see that he felt out of place, confused, and angry at himself. When Akira took the empty seat behind her, she remembered she wanted so desperately to reach out to him and maybe help him. But then she remembered her reputation at the school. If anyone found out that “Kamoshida’s bitch” was talking with the infamous transfer student, it would be disastrous for the both of them. She sadly decided right then and there to simply ignore him.

Ann shook her head. What an insane thought. Ignoring the one man she truly loves. Ignoring the man who taught her how to stand up for herself. Ignoring the one man that has changed her life forever. How crazy is that? It's true though. Akira changed her for the better. Without him, she would not have found her true calling of being a Phantom Thief. Without him, she would probably still be "Kamoshida's foreign slutty bitch" or something worse. Because of that, she couldn't imagine a world without Akira or the Phantom Thieves now. It's amazing how this one man has changed her life so significantly in such a short time. 

She rested her head on her lover’s chest and closed her eyes. She became lost in the sound of his heart beat as she thought about the night before. Ann couldn’t ask for a better night. No interruptions, no distractions, no sex (even though Akira clearly wanted it). It was just them cuddling close, talking about many subjects and laughing at the dumbest things Ryuji has said. To top it all off, Ann got to wake up next to the man she loves, something that she has always wanted to do since they started dating.

Ann could feel Akira’s body start to move. He groaned as his eyes hazily opened. Ann kissed his cheek.

“Good morning, my light~” Ann softly chimed. He weakly grinned.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“I’m not beautiful yet…” She blushed.

“Stop it. You’re gorgeous and you know it.”

“Akira…” She blushed harder. “I-I think Sojiro has breakfast waiting for us.”

“It can wait.” He grinned, tugging her closer. Ann squeaked as Akira pulled her into a deep kiss. He carefully caressed Ann’s body as they locked lips. His hands navigated from her sides to her hips as he slowly tried to take off her red pajama top.

“A-Akira!” Ann harshly whispered. Akira simply gave her a sly smirk, almost looking like his Metaverse counterpart.

“You perv! W-We can’t do it here!”

“Why not? They won’t hear us if we’re quiet.”

“Ugh! Perv!” Ann looked away from him, which gave Akira the perfect opportunity to lean into her and start lightly biting at her neck.

“A-ah…A-Akira! Mmm…”

He started giggling at her small moans.

“S-stop it, you jerk!”

Akira made his way to her ear. “I want you and only you…” he whispered breathlessly, only to continue gnawing at her open neck. Ann made a tiny gasp. Goddamn it, she thought. This is exactly how this boy won her over. He's doesn't talk much but when he does, it's always what you wanted to hear. Ann’s body began to feel hot from Akira’s touch. He slowly tried to lift up her top again. This time, Ann didn't protest. She bit her lip, staring at the frizzy-haired boy with her passionate blue eyes.

“A-Akira…take m—“

“If only dad knew what you were doing~” A young, familiar voice rang out from behind them.

Akira and Ann flopped around like fish. They quickly looked behind them to see Futaba casually standing near the bed with a massive grin on her devilish face.

"F-Futaba!" Ann exclaimed, her face as red as her Metaverse suit.

"Don't worry, I won't tell dad. But I want something in return~" The autumn-haired girl teased.

"What is it, Futaba?" Akira sighed.

"Will you take me Akihabara to buy that new game?" She looked slyly at Akira.

"Sure..."

"And pay for it?" 

"Okay, that's a bit much." Akira groaned.

The young girl giggled. “Well, hurry up. Dad made breakfast for you two and it’s getting cold.”

“O-o-oh okay. Tell him we’ll be right down.” Ann managed to make out.

Without saying another word, Futaba turned around and skipped down the stairs. The two lovers both sighed in relief.

"We've created a monster." Akira chuckled. Ann nervously laughed.

**~ ~ ~**

Akira and Ann walked down the stairs. The smell of strong black coffee and spicy curry welcomed them. Sojiro stood behind the bar counter, carefully making fresh batches of coffee for everyone. Futaba sat at the bar with her face close to her laptop screen. Next to her was Morgana, calmly sitting at the counter. Futaba looked over to Akira and Ann, smirking.

“Good morning.” Futaba said rather softly.

“Morning, Futaba.” Akira replied, smirking back at her. 

“Good morning!” Ann chimed, trying to sound as natural as she could.

Sojiro looked over to the two. “Oh good, you’re up. I made curry for you guys.” He gestured to two bowls of curry on the bar counter.

“Thank you so much, Boss.” Ann nodded as she sat at the counter. Akira followed suit.

“I hope the attic wasn’t too cold for you, Ann. The heater’s been a little funky lately.” Sojiro gave a small smile to Ann.

“Oh no! I was perfectly fine, Boss.”

Sojiro chuckled. “Oh yeah, you had this guy to warm you up, huh?” He nodded to Akira. 

Ann blushed as she took a bite of curry. Akira couldn’t help but blush a bit too. Futaba shot a look over to the two love-birds and smirked again.

“Don’t get any ideas, Futaba. You’re too young to have a boyfriend.” Sojiro eyed her.

“W-what!? I wasn’t thinking that!” She flustered. Ann and Akira giggled in between bites of curry.

Suddenly, the three teens got simultaneous text messages. They quickly looked at each other and casually looked at their phones one by one. Morgana peaked over Futaba's shoulder.

> _Makoto: We should go to Mementos. Today._
> 
> _Yusuke: What is the matter?_
> 
> _Makoto: What do you mean ‘what is the matter’? We’ve been slacking off lately and it’s concerning. There are people out there that need our help sooner rather than later._
> 
> _Yusuke: I apologize, Makoto. I concur._

“Yikes...” Morgana exclaimed quietly. “Makoto sounds a little on edge. Is she okay?” The cat asked. 

> _Ann: Well, I’m fine with it if everyone else is._
> 
> _Akira: So am I._
> 
> _Ryuji: Ya’ll know I’m in!_
> 
> _Futaba: :)_
> 
> _Makoto: Haru?_
> 
> _Haru: Sorry! I’m in as well!_
> 
> _Makoto: Then it’s settled. Let’s meet this afternoon._

“Alright, I’m opening up soon. You all done?” Sojiro interrupted. Ann looked up.

“Oh, yes. Thank you so much, again.” Ann cheerily smiled.

“No problem.” Sojiro smiled as he took everyone’s plates and coffee cups and put them in the sink.

“Hey Boss, you mind if the others come visit today?” Akira chimed in while the old man was still in a good mood. Sojiro eyed Akira. He gave the same glance that teachers would give when they know you know the right answer.

“As long as you guys are quiet, sure.” 


	6. Bow to the Queen (aka, The Joker Incident) - Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to expand this chapter to make it flow a bit better. I originally posted this with just the first half (before the team goes to Mementos). Also realized I made a small continuity error about the Mementos targets. Sorry!

Café LeBlanc may not have many customers, but a certain group of teenagers have become regulars at the small, modest establishment, particularly it’s attic. The band of outsiders were all present. Joker, the suave leader. Skull, the determined head-butter. Panther, the fiery seductress. Mona, the wise-cracking supporter. Fox, the passionate fighter. Queen, the level-headed advisor. Oracle, the omnipresent hacker, and Noir, the cheery lady thief. The rag-tag team sat around a square table, surrounded by notebooks and burger wrappers from fast-food joints. The only thing missing now was a plan…

Everyone seemed to be busy doing their own thing.

Ryuji stuffed his face with snacks, clearly itching to start kicking ass and taking names in the Metaverse. Ann was deeply engrossed in her phone, checking out the latest deals on in-season dresses. Yusuke was in the middle of drawing the view outside of the attic window with charcoal.

“I shall call it  _Perceptions of Youth_.” He quipped earlier. “The view is quite joyful. It reminds me of my younger years.”

Akira only periodically checked his phone, mainly because Dr. Takemi has been bugging him to try out a new death serum she’s concocted. Makoto was nose-deep into a book while taking notes. Futaba laid on Akira’s bed, furiously typing away on her laptop and grunting to herself occasionally. And Haru sat quietly as she politely sipped her green tea, not even looking at her phone or bothering anyone else’s free time.

Suddenly, Morgana jumped up on the table. “Alright, looks like we’re all here. Let’s start the meeting.”

“Right.” Makoto closed her book without missing a beat. She stood up. “I called for a meeting because I’m sure everyone knows that we’ve been a bit behind with the requests on the Phan-Site, yes?” She eyed everyone like a school teacher. Everyone nodded in unison.

“Well, since we don’t have a major target on our sights, I propose we deal with as many requests in Mementos as we can this week to make up for lost time...” She spoke clear, concise, and blasé. 

While Makoto spoke, Ann discretely texted Akira.

> _Ann: Is Makoto okay? She seems...off._

Akira quickly looked down and replied.

> _Akira: Something's been bothering her but she hasn't told me yet. I'll talk to her tomorrow._
> 
> _Ann: Or maybe Haru and I could? Maybe she needs a female perspective._
> 
> _Akira: She said she wanted to talk to me in private._

Ann bit her lip and quickly put her phone away. She glanced over to Akira. He shrugged.

"Any objections?" Makoto finished her little speech. Everyone shook their heads.

“Great. Now, I have a list of people who have been high on the rankings on the Phan-Site. Would you like to read them off, Morgana?” Makoto put a folder in front of Morgana.

Morgana cleared his throat and scanned the folder. “First target is Yuu Takuma, a pet-store owner who abuses his own pets by starving them.”

“That’s awful!” Haru exclaimed.

“Oh, I can’t wait to beat his head in…” Ryuji said through gritted teeth.

“Second target is Hitomi Nanami, an unemployed single mother who steals her son’s money and uses it all on drugs.”

“How my god, how low could these people be!?” Ann gasped.

“My, how distasteful…” Yusuke replied softly.

“Alright, so clearly, we have a lot to do.” Makoto butted in. “No more slacking off. People are counting on us to steal their hearts. Are we ready to go?”

“If I may, might I make a suggestion?” Yusuke piped up.

“Yes, Yusuke?”

“I think it would be most beneficial if we all diverged into two groups, rather than all of us going at one target at a time.”

“I agree. It'll help get these two done faster.” Akira said.

“Any objections?” Makoto asked the team. No responses. “Very well, we’ll split into two groups. One for Takuma, the other for Nanami. Who’s going with who?”

“I’m going for that Takuma asshole.” Ryuji cracked his knuckles.

“I’ll join Ryuji!” Haru said, determined.

“I shall join Ryuji as well.” Yusuke nods.

“I’ll go wherever Lady Ann is going!” Morgana meowed.

“Ann and I will go for Nanami, then.” Akira said.

Makoto quickly shot a look at him, then looked at Ann. “Are you sure you’re okay with that, Ann?”

Ann nodded confidently. 

“I’m not so sure if that’s a good strategy.” Makoto huffed.

“What do you mean? Ann and I are strong fighters, plus Morgana’s Persona has healing skills.” Akira replied in a defensive tone.

“Also, it’s probably best for Akira’s team to have some heavy hitters. I have a feeling that Nanami’s cognitive Shadow is gonna be stronger than Takuma’s.” Futaba chimed in.

"How?" Haru asked.

"I mean, animal abuse is some pretty heavy stuff, but stealing from your own family for own gain is pretty damn low. Just imagine how twisted her heart must be to even think of doing stuff like that. It'll more than likely influence her cognition." Futaba shrugged. "Again, it's just a hunch." 

Makoto simply looked to the floor and sighed. “Alright. In that case, I’ll go with you, Akira. You’ll need the support.”

Akira wasn’t quite sure how to take that but nodded anyway.

“That only leaves me, then…” Futaba sighed. “You better not let me down, Inari…”

“Is everybody ready?” Makoto scanned the room. Everyone already had their smartphones out.

“Ready when you are, Joker.” She nodded.

**~ ~ ~**

Going to Mementos is an oddity all to itself. Imagine if you were casually sitting somewhere rather busy, like a train station or a restaurant. You pull out your phone, touch a creepy looking app, look away, and suddenly everyone around you is gone. The one busy location you were just at no longer exists. It’s just you in a desolate red and black void. You might’ve thought you’ve suddenly died and gone to hell without realizing it. Words couldn’t describe how someone would feel in this situation, and truth be told, the Phantom Thieves are no different. They have gone to Metaverse dozens of times, but each time leaves them breathless. Every time they enter, they take a moment to study each other. They almost can’t recognize each other in their respected outfits. Everything that they knew about themselves were thrown out the window the moment they step into the Metaverse. It’s almost like stepping into character right before you go on stage.

The one who always had the biggest change stepping into the Metaverse was Akira. Gone is the quiet boy-next-door with a gleaming smile. Now, he’s Joker, gentleman thief extraordinaire with a cocky grin plastered on his face. His presence was commanding, his voice was cool and authoritative. It’s no wonder the Phantom Thieves elected him as their leader with his affable personality.

Joker spun on his heel and faced the team. “Alright. What are we waiting for?” He smirked.

“For our sweet ride, of course! Come on, Morgana. Grow some wheels!” Skull turned to the cat.

“You know, a ‘please’ would be nice.” Mona huffed, crossing his stubby arms.

“Fine, grow some damn wheels, ‘please’!”

“This is why you’re single, Skull…” Mona groaned.

“HEY, YOU WANNA SAY THAT TO MY FACE--"

“Skull! Mona! This is not the time nor the place!” Queen rang out.

“Yes ma’am…” Skull bowed his head like a boy who was caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.

Mona jumped in the air and morphed into a stylish van in front of them. He skidded on the ground and slung his doors open. The band of thieves quickly hopped in.

“Shotgun!~” Panther cheered. Mona perked up and opened the passenger door for her. Joker smirked and rolled his eyes as he hopped into the driver’s seat.

“Any idea where our targets are, Queen?” Joker said, starting up Mona’s engine.

“I’m checking…” Queen replied as she quickly scrolled through the Nav app. “What luck! They’re on the same level. It’s only a couple floors below us.”

“Roger that.” Joker smirked. He slammed on the gas pedal, roaring through the tunnels of Mementos. The Phantom Thieves hold on tight as Joker keeps increasing speed.

“Hey, careful! I’m not a sports car!” Mona whined.

Joker made a sharp right turn, drifting into a darker tunnel.

“Anyone in the mood for some beef bowls after this?” Skull yawned.

“I could go for some.” Oracle replied.

“It’s been a while since we’ve all done something together! I’ll gladly come.” Noir smiled.

"I as well." Fox smiled softly.

“I’m not against the idea, but now is not the time to talk about this…” Queen said as blasé as ever.

"What's your deal, Makoto? You act like this is our first mission or somethin'. We got this in the bag!" Skull reclined.

Queen simply looked to the ground. “I’m sorry. It was a rough night. I didn’t get much sleep.”

“Pff, same here.” Skull chuckled. “Hell, I haven’t had a good night sleep since I was a baby.”

“It’s because you procrastinate and do your homework at three in the morning!” Panther snapped back.

“Hey! At least I get it done!” Skull whined like a little kid trying to convince his mother to buy a toy.

Queen sighed to herself. Skull was right. Her attitude has been showing a bit too much. Maybe spending time with the gang over beef bowls after this mission will help her lighten up a bit. She glanced over to Joker, who had the same confident smirk as he drifted around Mementos like a madman. It was hard for Queen to believe that such a kind, gentle boy would act so suave and devilish in the Metaverse. It made her wonder if there was more to Akira than he puts on…

“You alright, Queen?” A voice said.

“H-huh?” Queen snapped her head to the direction of the voice. It was Panther, looking behind her seat.

“You were kinda zoning out a bit…” Panther raised an eyebrow. Queen blushed, realizing that she had been staring directly at Joker for longer than she thought.

“I’m fine. Just thinking of different strategies.” Queen shook her head. Panther nodded and looked away from her.

Joker made another sharp turn into a terminal with two adjacent tunnels.  

“Hmm…I can feel the cognition change in this area. They must be close.” Mona said.

Joker slammed on the brakes. “Let’s split up here.”

Mona swung his doors open, letting everyone shuffle out. Joker jumped out, adjusted his gloves, and crossed over to the passenger’s side. He opened the door for Panther, taking her hand.

“Allow me, my lady.” Joker said, smiling.

“Such a gentleman~” Panther stepped out of the van like a movie star before Mona switched back into his regular form.

“Hurry up, lovebirds! We don’t got all day!” Skull heckled from afar.

“Alright, everyone keep track of time. Let’s regroup here in thirty minutes.” Queen announced.

“We’re gonna need more time than that…” Joker interrupted. “Let’s shoot for an hour.”

“Huh? An hour to take down one target?” Queen looked at him wide-eyed.

“Better safe than sorry, right?” Joker shrugged.

“I don’t think—“

“Look, we can’t sit here and argue about it. Let’s split down the middle and meet here in forty-five minutes. Agreed?” Mona interjected.

Everyone nodded.

“Alright everyone, I’m counting on you. This should be quick and easy, so show no mercy. Queen, Mona, you’re with me.” Joker smiled deviously. Queen nodded and joined Joker's group. Mona stood close to Lady Ann.

“Let’s kick ass!” Skull cheered as he walked with his respected group. And just like that, the Phantom Thieves walked their separate ways into the two separate tunnels.


	7. Bow to the Queen (aka, The Joker Incident) - Part II

The howling winds of Mementos didn’t faze Skull, Oracle, Fox, or Noir as they trudged through the dark tunnel. “According to my data, the cognition is getting stronger. Takuma must be close. Keep your guard up.” Oracle announced.

“This is exciting! It’s been a while since we’ve been in battle.” Noir exclaimed.

“You’re telling me. I don’t know what the hell Queen was getting on our asses about. This’ll be a piece of cake.” Skull stretched as he walked.

“I have noticed that Queen has been acting very defensive lately.” Fox pondered.

“Must be her sis or somethin’. Hell, if I had a sister like that, I’d be pissy all the time too.”

“Even so, I’m a bit concerned.” Fox sighed.

“Why?” Oracle asked.

“Queen is typically the type of individual to tell us if something was the matter. I think something is eating her up.” Fox said rather matter-of-fact.

“Are you sure about that?” Oracle retorted.

“It’s a rather bold assumption, I understand. But, as they say, ‘eyes are windows to the soul’ and her eyes have showed nothing but despair. I have not seen such despair in one’s eyes since I saw St. Peter being depicted in Caravaggio’s _Crucifixion of St. Peter…_ ” Fox said plainly.

“Damn…that’s, uh, pretty depressing there, Fox. Who hurt you?” Skull stared at him bewildered.

“Hey, that gives me an idea! Well, not the crucifying part…” Noir interjected. “Let’s do what Queen wants to do after this mission. It’ll raise her spirits!”

“Aww! But I wanted beef bowls after this!” Skull whined.

“You can have your beef bowls another time.” Noir said, trying to appease Skull, but it accidentally came out a bit combative.

“Besides, what if Queen _wants_ beef bowls?” Oracle inquired.

“Yeah right. Queen’s into all that studying crap. She’d probably have us go to some boring bookstore or—SHIT!!!”

Before Skull could finish his sentence, the sound of throaty laughter echoes through the tunnel, causing Ryuji to jolt and scream like a little girl. The three others scanned around for the source of the noise, but only see the dark abyss of Mementos. Skull composed himself.

“Okay, not cool!” Skull yelled. “Where the hell are you, Takuma? There’s no point in hiding! We’re coming for you, dirtbag!”

“OH SURE. BLAME EVERYTHING ON ME!” A screeching voice rang out from the darkness.

“Yuu Takuma! We will steal your heart and make you atone for your crimes!” Noir declared.

“CRIMES!? WHAT CRIMES!? THEY’RE JUST PATHETIC ANIMALS!”

Suddenly, a figure emerges from the dark void. A middle-aged man with sharp, black hair and the same glowing yellow eyes as any Shadow in the Metaverse stepped out. His skin was graying, showing many veins and wrinkles. He was surrounded by a cloud of black mist.

“THEY DON’T FEEL ANYTHING! THEY SHOULD KNOW THEIR PLACE! HUMANS ARE VASTLY SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY! THEY DESERVE THE SENSE KNOCKED INTO THEM!”

“All life on earth deserves to be treated with respect!” Fox unsheathed his blade.

“OH!? YOU MUST BE THOSE PHANTOM THIEVES I HEAR ABOUT! I’D LOVE TO SEE YOU TRY TO STEAL MY HEART…” The evil man chuckled as the mist around him grew denser. Takuma’s body began to decompose. His limbs peeled away like oranges. Suddenly, he began to grow wings and talons on his feet. He used his new-found bird wings to shoot up into the air and swoop down with a mighty roar. The Hippogriff-looking Shadow with the head of Takuma towered over them.

“GO AHEAD! I’LL PUT IT ALL ON THE TABLE FOR YA!” The Shadow screeched.

“My, how ironic. A man who hates animals has the cognition of one.” Fox sneered.

“Persona!” Oracle yelled. Oracle’s UFO-like persona zoomed in and swept up Oracle. “I’ll give air support!” She said as she floated on air.

Skull simply smirked and glanced at the other two. All three of them nodded their heads in unison. They took a short breath, unsheathed their weapons, and charged at the screaming Shadow with full-force.

**~ ~ ~**

“Please…I’ll give you whatever you want…” The shadow of Hitomi Nanami graveled on the cold ground. She looked up to see the barrel of a gun and the one who was holding it, the grinning face of Joker. Also surrounding Nanami was Panther, Queen, and Mona, all with guns at the ready.

“Please…just name it…”

“I want money. Empty those pockets. Now.” Joker demanded confidently.

Nanami nodded as she shoved her bloody hands into her pockets to pull out some cash.

“Count it.” Joker demanded.

Nanami counted the money with shaky hands. “3,127 yen.” She quivered.

“Is that it?” Joker’s eyes lit up.

Nanami nodded. “Y-yes…I swear…please let me go.” She laid the money at Joker’s feet. Joker simply looked at it and grabbed Nanami by her shirt.

“I don't know, I think you’re lying.” Joker said, putting his gun directly at her neck.

“Foolish boy! Why would I lie to you? I have nothing else to give! Please don’t kill me!” She pleaded. The thief stared into her eyes for a bit, then let go. He swiped up the money from his feet.

“Alright. Now, are you gonna do what we told you to do?” Joker smirked.

Nanami bowed her head in defeat. “I’ll confess to my crimes and turn myself in…”

“And?” Mona interjected.

“And I will pay my son back in full.” The mother cried. “I’m so sorry…”

"Don’t cry to us. Go. Now.” Joker scoffed.

Nanami stood up and ran away, deep into the darkness of Mementos. Her cries echoed out through the halls. The Phantom Thieves holstered their guns.

“Good work, Joker!” Mona celebrated.

“That was almost too easy. Great work everyone.” Queen gave a soft smile to everyone. Queen was right. She couldn’t ask for a smoother battle. Neither of them hardly broke a sweat. It felt that everyone had their place. Joker delivered amazing physical attacks while Panther hit Nanami’s weakness with her fire spells. Mona’s healing came in handy too, especially after a bit of a close call. Queen had some light bruises to show for it. She misjudged the trajectory of Nanami’s ice attacks and got hit with a nasty blow. Thanks to Mona, she was able to get back on her feet and deliver some solid nuclear attacks. All in all, another flawless victory for the books. Queen was rather proud of her team.

“Way to go! We did it” Panther ran over to hug Joker tight.

“No, _you_ did it.” Joker smiled at her.

Queen gasped to herself. Did he just say what she thought he said? She took a moment to process what he said. Yes. He most certainly did. A rush of memories flooded her mind. That night at Akihabara. The bright neon lights. The claw machine. The ugly bear in her room. Queen tightened her body. She tried her best to compose herself, but she couldn’t help it. All she could see was Panther’s blushing face.  

“Oh you…” Panther blushed beneath her mask. Joker leaned in and kissed her lightly.

A flame burned quietly inside Queen. She feared this moment for quite a while. The moment where she realized that she was no longer important. Queen’s assumptions were right. She wasn’t so special after all. No matter. Two could play at that game and no one knew that better than a Niijima girl.

“Stop wasting time, you two. Let’s go and check on the others.” Queen crossed her arms.

“I’m sure they’re fine.” Joker retorted.

“How on earth could you say that? What if they need our help!?”

“I got faith in them, what can I say?”

“Yeah! Skull can be a bit dense, but he’s a damn good fighter.” Ann cheered.

“A bit?” Mona questioned.

Queen sighed. “Look, it wouldn’t hurt to go. Besides, we need to group up anyway.” Without saying another word, Queen started walking the other direction of the tunnel.

Panther gave a concerned look to Joker. He shrugged as they started following Queen. Joker started counting the money he made from Nanami as they walked. He suddenly stopped.

“Are you kidding!?” Joker exclaimed.

Everyone stopped and turned their heads to him.

“What is it?” Mona asked concerningly.

“She only gave me 1,750 yen! That damn Shadow cheated me out!” Joker growled. “I’m going back!”

“What!? Are you crazy!? Just let it go, It’s only money.” Queen protested.

“Money that could be used to feed me! Let’s go, Joker!” Mona jumped, ready to go with him.

“No, you guys go ahead and regroup with Skull and them. Panther and I will go.”

Queen raised an eyebrow at the two but didn’t protest. “Alright, then. But if I don’t hear from you in ten minutes, I’m calling a search party.”

“Deal.” Joker smirked as he ran deeper into the tunnel with Panther.

“Don’t worry about us, okay? See you guys later!” Panther called.

“Be safe, Lady Ann!” Mona called back. He then turned to Queen and laughed. “Joker and his money, am I right?”

“Yeah…money…” She crossed her arms, suspicious. She watched the two lovers run away from them until they disappeared completely.


	8. Bow to the Queen (aka, The Joker Incident) - Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I'm going to be on vacation this month, so these chapters might come a bit sporadically. Again, sorry about that!

Joker pinned Panther against the tunnel walls. She blushed darkly beneath her mask.

“J-Joker, what are you--“

He kissed her passionately to shut her up.

“C’mon, we’re alone. Call me by my real name, Ann.” He whispered breathlessly into her ear and kissed her again, this time he was biting at her lip.

“I-I thought we were going to get your money back.”

“I fibbed a little.” Joker smirked, going straight for Panther’s exposed neck. She made a small gasp.

“J-Joker! You perv, we can’t…” Panther bit her lip slightly, starting to fall under Joker’s spell.

She looked at her boyfriend’s pale eyes. He looked like a completely different person with that mask, yet she could still see the Akira she fell for in his grayish eyes. Panther couldn’t help but swoon. This was everything a typical young girl like her dreamed about, being swept away by a handsome gentleman.

The handsome thief breathed lightly on her neck. “I can’t control myself anymore. Please, Ann…”

“Mmm…Akira…” She moaned effortlessly. Panther suddenly snapped out it and retracted from him. “N-No. This isn’t right. Let’s just go back. Please?” She looked at the ground.

Joker saw the blush on Panther’s face and retracted as well.

“I’m sorry.” Panther added.

“No. You’re right. I just thought you would like some more alone time since it got cut short earlier.”

Panther chuckled and shook her head.

“I’m happy as long as I’m with you.” She looked up and gave a big smile.

Joker studied her ocean blue eyes and smirked. “Thanks, Ann.”

She giggled and leaned in to kiss him. “I love you, Akira. I don’t care what we’re doing, as long as we’re together. Remember our promise?”

Joker smiled and hugged her tight. How could he ever forget? It was one of those life-affirming moments for him. Second to becoming a Phantom Thief, of course.

A few months ago, on the day Ann confessed her love to Akira, the two lovers sat on a Ferris wheel alone together. They discussed a plethora of things. Their friendship, their dreams, their ambitions, and even their future together. As the evening sun rolled by, they both decided right then and there to solidify their relationship. Ann nervously let Akira kiss her and sparks immediately flew. When Akira’s planted his lips on Ann’s, it was as if no one else in the universe existed. Not a single thought about tomorrow came to his mind. He didn’t care about classes or the Palace they had to infiltrate tomorrow. Moreover, he didn’t care about his probation or how much he missed his family. It was only him and her now. Akira wanted to say so many things to her in that moment but decided to let it all just play out. As their Ferris wheel car descended, Ann shocked Akira by suddenly holding his hand. At first, he thought Ann had a fear of heights and needed him to console her, but her deep gaze and dark blush said otherwise.

“Akira…” Ann quivered. “Let’s be together, forever…okay…?” Her blush darkened more. Akira gasped. Never in his life did he think he was worth that much to someone. He had always felt he was just a floater, someone who was present but no one paid attention to, like an extra in a movie or a piece of scenery in a play. Becoming a Phantom Thief and making new friends reassured him that he had a place in life that he never knew. But now, things were different. Akira could tell that she needed him just as much he needed her.

“Of course.” The frizzy haired boy smiled big and nodded. Ann was to the point of tears when she heard his reply. She looked at the ground, still red as ever.

“Thank you, Akira.” She managed.

Joker gave Panther the same assuring nod as that night on the Ferris wheel. Panther grinned ear to ear. “Good! Cause I’ll make your life a living hell if you break our promise, ya know~” She winked, giggling.

“You’re stuck with me, boy~”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Joker replied cooly.

Panther slid her arms around Joker’s body. “Mmm…so, I was thinking…why the rush? Why don’t we have our alone time back at your place after this?” She said in her sultry voice.

“Oh? Guess I never thought about that.” Joker smirked, playing along with her.

“You’re the leader, you should plan ahead more~”

Panther snuck in a kiss. They embraced each other, pulling their body’s tighter. Joker softly bit her lip, sending Panther a bit over the edge. She ran her hands through Joker’s messy hair as she instigated a French kiss. Joker was about to reciprocate, until…

“What the hell are you both doing!?”

Joker and Panther immediately stopped and looked over to see Queen giving the most intense look of disapproval they’ve ever saw. It was enough to give them chills down their spines.

“Q-Queen!” Panther blurted.

“That is extremely inappropriate and unprofessional, you two! This isn’t a vacation!” Queen huffed, red with anger.

“Queen, we’re sorry--“

“I don’t want to hear it. You two are coming back with me. Now.” She spoke like a strict mother.

Joker and Panther nodded silently, looking at each other with guilty expressions. So much for being expert thieves. They couldn’t even make a clean getaway. There was nothing more they could say as Queen pierced them with her gaze. They instinctively followed Queen back the way they came.

**~~~**

Meanwhile, the rest of the team waited patiently at the meeting spot. Skull squatted in front of a wall, throwing small rocks around and hearing the echoes travel through the tunnel. Oracle watched Fox wander around the area, stopping every once and a while to hold up his fingers like a picture frame and examine the area.

“You’re so weird, Inari…” Oracle sighed to herself.

Skull scratched his head and stood up.

“Yo, should we start looking for them or somethin’?”

“I’m sure they’ll be back any minute.” Noir responded hopefully.

“Man, Queen’s got a lotta nerve to preach about not slacking off, yet here we are waiting on her…”

“Don’t be quick to judge. She’s just making sure Joker and Panther are okay.” Mona said.

“What, is she our mom now? We can take care of ourselves.” Skull crossed his arms. “God, she’s been getting under my skin lately.”

“Hmm? How so?” Fox glanced over to Skull.  

“Haven’t you guys noticed that she’s been back to her old bitchy self? You know, like she was before she joined the team? She needs to figure her shit out cuz it’s getting damn annoying.”

Noir sighed. “I’ve noticed it as well. Typically, Makoto—I mean, Queen—gets like this when she’s stressed.”

“I don’t know what she’s gotta be stressed about. She’s got her future planned ahead and everything.” Skull shrugged.

“Again, don’t be so quick to judge, Skull. Ever heard of that saying, ‘walking a mile in someone else’s shoes’?” Mona talked down to him.

“Yeah. No one knows that phrase more than me.” Skull huffed.

Oracle looked out further into the tunnel and saw three figures with masks coming towards them.

“Heads up! Queen and them are back!” Oracle pointed out.

Queen, Joker, and Panther finally arrived. Joker and Panther could barely make eye contact with anyone.

“Hey. You guys did alright with Takuma?” Joker piped up.

“Hell yeah, we had that jerk to his knees!” Skull gave his toothy grin.

“He was a rather weak opponent. Nothing too stressful.” Oracle replied.

“Were you able to get your money back, Joker?” Mona jumped, excited about a possible tuna dinner he’s been craving for months.

Joker stared at Morgana, confused. Then, it suddenly hit him.

“Oh, money! Right...Um…”

“W-we couldn’t find Nanami. Looks like we’re a couple bucks short! Heh…” Panther added forcefully. Joker tried in all his might not to face-palm. Panther was smart and clever, but couldn’t lie out of a paper bag. He could already see Skull raising a questionable eyebrow.

“Aw well, it’s okay Lady Ann.” Mona shrugged.

“Well, job well done, everyone. I’m real proud of you guys.” Joker continued.

“You know what that means!? Time to celebrate!” Skull cheered. Everyone else cheered in agreement. Queen remained silent, which was concerning.

“Queen, is there any particular place you wish to go to tonight?” Noir smiled.

“H-huh? You’re asking me?” Queen jolted and looked at everyone.

Fox nodded. “We thought it would be nice to do something you wish to do instead of us roping you into things.”

Queen’s mind went blank. This doesn’t happen often. Now she’s REALLY concerned. Are they making up for something? Did she say something wrong?

“U-uh…you don’t have to do that, I’m fine with whatever…”

“C’mon, just pick a place already…preferably beef bowls…” Skull interjected.

Queen scanned the room. Everyone was full of smiles (except for Joker and Panther for obvious reasons). The pressure was on her now. She tried to think back. What on earth do teenagers do after school again?

“Umm…would anyone like to go do karaoke?” She blurted.

“Oh! Great idea!” Noir clapped her hands together.

“Yes, that sounds rather fun.” Fox smiled.

“I’m not singing, but I’d love to hear Joker try.” Oracle giggled.

Skull turned to the lovers. “Joker? Panther?”

Joker paused awkwardly and looked at Panther. She was just as uncomfortable about the idea as he was. It seemed they have no other choice, however.

“We’d love to go.” Panther smiled weakly.


	9. Square Peg In a Round Hole

The ringing bell of Leblanc’s door greeted Akira as he walked in. Sojiro was in the middle of making a fresh batch of curry. He looked over to Akira, as expressionless as ever.

“Oh. You’re back.” He said flatly.

Akira’s eyes drifted to one of Leblanc’s regulars. He sat at the end of the bar as he usually did, sipping a cup of black coffee. His long blondish-gray hair swished as he looked over to the door. His face beamed when he saw Akira, like a child who received a new toy to play with.

“Oh! Well, hello there!” Goro Akechi greeted.

Akira didn’t respond. He looked at the detective blankly like he always did. He was never quite sure what to make of the great teen detective Akechi. He’s cunning, no doubt, but Akira just couldn’t shake the feeling that the Akechi he sees is merely a façade. Beneath the smiles and good-natured banter is probably someone either broken or dangerous. This is why Akira is always on-guard when they meet face to face.

“Hey boss…Akechi…” Akira nodded to Sojiro and only glanced at Akechi.

“Where’s your girlfriend? She’s more than welcome here, you know.” Sojiro returned to making his curry.

“Girlfriend? Akira, you never told me.” Akechi cheered.

“She had homework to do.” Akira sighed, still not acknowledging the detective in the room.

Sojiro chuckled. “Good. Just cause you’re in a relationship doesn’t mean you should ignore your schoolwork.”

“I know, Boss.”

“So, please tell, who’s the lucky lady?” Akechi kept the same smile plastered on his face.

Akira hesitated to answer but figured that telling him couldn’t possibly hurt anyone.

“Ann. Ann Takamaki.”

“Takamaki…oh! Your classmate at Shujin! High school sweethearts, eh? How romantic.” Akechi beamed. “She’s quite the attractive one. You should have told me sooner, I would have given you a gift.”

Akira simply nodded. Akechi stood and adjusted his coat.

“Well, if you don’t mind, I must be heading out. Good night.” Akechi nodded to Akira as he walked out the café. Akira simply watched him leave.

“You got drama with him or something?” Sojiro raised an eyebrow at Akira.

“I’m not sure what to make of him.”

Sojiro sighed. “Me neither. He seems like a nice guy, though. Best not make enemies with him. Or anyone in that matter.”

The old man looked over at him again. “You heading up?”

Akira nodded and made his way to the back of the café and up the creaky stairs.

“Good night, kid.” Akira heard Sojiro say as he reached the attic. He put his bag aside and unzipped it to let Morgana out. The cat jumped out and stretched on the table.

“We had a big day today, we should get some sleep.” The cat yawned.  

Akira nodded and undressed, putting on his pajamas. He took off his black glasses and put them on his workbench. He plopped on his bed and stretched.

“Hey, question…” Morgana mewed.

“Hmm?” Akira looked over to him with one eye closed.

“How well can you see without your glasses?”

Akira stared at the ceiling. “So-so, I guess. It’s better to have them.”

That wasn’t entirely true. The truth is Akira can see perfectly fine without his glasses. They’re mainly just for reading. Before coming to Tokyo, he barely wore them. He always thought he didn’t look that good with them. After the whole fiasco with the random woman and the mysterious man who took him to court, he started wearing them almost like a disguise. He figured if the Akira Kurusu the world knows is a criminal, he should at least make the effort to hide it. A new place, a new life, as they say. He compared it to wearing his Metaverse mask in the real world.

Plus, Akira heard that chicks love guys who wear glasses. Ann always complimented how good they looked on him, so it looks like he’s not getting rid of them anytime soon.

“Oh, well, I was just curious. I couldn’t imagine wearing glasses all the time. Don’t you get tired of it?” Morgana asked.

Akira shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I said, I can see kinda okay without them.”

“Hmm…” Morgana studied his face. “I think you should keep them. They suit you well.”

“Thanks, Morgana.” Akira half-smiled.

Suddenly, Akira’s phone buzzed. He quickly checked it. 

 

> _Ryuji: Dude, PLEASE someone tell me they got video of Yusuke when he was singing!_
> 
> _Futaba: Done._
> 
> _Ryuji: Oh man, you gotta send that to me!!!_
> 
> _Futaba: Done._
> 
> _Ryuji: ???_
> 
> _Ryuji: Damn, Futaba. You work fast._
> 
> _Yusuke: Oh dear. Please do not send that video around._
> 
> _Haru: But you have such a lovely voice, Yusuke!_
> 
> _Yusuke: Not as lovely as Ann’s. I must say, it was rather soothing._
> 
> _Ann: Come on, I’m not that good…_
> 
> _Akira: Quit being so modest, babe._
> 
> _Ryuji: Yeah, listen to your boy-toy!_
> 
> _Ann: Ryuji…_
> 
> _Ann: Thanks, honey ;)_
> 
> _Makoto: No flirting in the group chat, please?_

Akira sighed. If only there was a way he could clear the air with Makoto earlier. Karaoke was rather awkward between him, Ann, and Makoto. Everyone else had a blast, but Makoto rarely looked over to him or Ann, only to occasionally remind them it was their turn to sing or if they wanted any drinks. Akira and Ann both felt terrible to put Makoto in such a position. Ann felt so down that she decided to just go home for the night. Akira couldn’t blame her.

Suddenly, Akira received an individual text. It was Makoto. He gulped and froze as he opened it.

 

> _Makoto: Hey._
> 
> _Akira: Hey._
> 
> _Makoto: Is there any way we can meet tomorrow?_
> 
> _Akira: Sure._
> 
> _Akira: Where?_
> 
> _Makoto: School rooftop, after school?_
> 
> _Akira: Sounds good._
> 
> _Makoto: Good night, Akira._

Akira sighed again. From the way Makoto has been acting, he knew he really messed up now. He was afraid of what Makoto might do or say. He knows how powerful she is. Hopefully, this will be a chance to wipe the slate with her, at least. Makoto has been a very valuable friend for him and he’d hate to have something like this get between them. He had a gut feeling that Makoto will be understanding. After all, how could he forget all the times he spent around Shinjuku and Akihabara with her?

Akira’s eyelids started getting heavy. Morgana jumped onto Akira’s bed and curled up beside his head, yawning.

“Good night.” Morgana mewed.

“Good night.” Akira managed before closing his eyes.

**~~~**

As Akira slept, a familiar cold wind came through. He groaned and hazily opened his eyes. He felt heavier, denser, and less aware of himself. He heard what could only be described as an opera singer in the distance. His bed now felt like hard stone. He shifted his arms and felt handcuffs holding them together. He shifted his leg and felt something heavy chained to his foot. This could only mean one thing. Akira groaned slightly. He knew what’s coming next.

“Wake up, inmate!” A mousey, yet stern voice called.

“Our master wishes to speak to you.” Another mousey, yet angelic voice assured.

Akira groggily got up and looked around. Exactly what he expected. His draft, empty jail cell in the ever so mysterious Velvet Room. Again, this could only mean one thing...

“Up, inmate! Don’t make our master wait!” Caroline yelled.

Akira stood and slowly made his way to his cell door, looking out to the middle of the foggy room. Igor sat alone behind his desk, grinning at Akira as always. Caroline and her sister Justice stand at attention.

“You have shown wonderful progress towards your rehabilitation, I must congratulate you.” As Igor spoke, it seemed like his words imprinted themselves in Akira’s head like a catchy song that’s been stuck in your head all day.

“What do you want?” Akira asked tiredly.

Igor chuckled. “Although you have progressed well, you will soon find yourself in a truly interesting predicament. I am excited to see how you will handle this.”

“P-Predicament?” Akira responded. He must be talking about Makoto, but Akira could hardly call it a predicament. It was simply a poorly timed misunderstanding. This only made him more worried that something worse is brewing.

“Yes. Soon, you shall be left with a choice. If you make the right one, it will further your rehabilitation.”

“A-and if I don’t make the right choice?” Akira quivered.

Igor simply chuckled again. “You shall see.” He said simply.

Akira felt a pit in his stomach. He dry swallowed and coughed a bit. He wanted to inquire more, but knowing Igor, he would just spin the conversation in circles again.

“That is all. You may leave.” Igor smiled and promptly ignored him.

“Back to the real world, inmate!” Caroline announced.

“Please return to your bed. Thank you for cooperating.” Justine said in a motherly tone.

Akira lethargically sulked to his bed and sat. He thought for a moment what Igor said. Just how screwed is he? There was only one way to find out tomorrow. He laid down on the cold, hard slab and let the soft opera voice of the Velvet Room put him to sleep.


	10. Is She Really Going Out With Him?

Mrs. Kamakawi stared at her students like a hawk as she took attendance. The class was surprisingly silent this morning.

“Mrs. Takamaki?” Kamakawi called.

“Present.” Ann replied cheerily.

“Mr. Kurusu?” The teacher called.

“Here.” Akira said.

Kamakawi took a second to glimpse at Akira and look back to her attendance book. “Mr. Kurusu, could you close the blinds?”

Akira nodded and got up to do what he was told. Kamakawi put her attendance book down and stood in front of the class.

“Alright, class. Unfortunately, I have some teacher-related business to attend to for this period. Please stay in your seats and keep chatting to a minimum.” She glanced over to Akira as she spoke.

Akira slowly grinned. The other students softly celebrated.

“I expect all of you to use this opportunity to study. Thank you.” The teacher continued. She sat down and opened her grading book. Students murmured amongst themselves. Small tidbits about fashion, who got the highest arcade scores, and about the Phantom Thieves’ next move.

“Well, I heard they’re gonna steal the President of the United State’s heart…” One hopeful student said.

“Yeah right. That’s too big of a job for even them.” A more grounded student responded.

“I mean, it’s not too far-fetched. They took down the biggest CEO in Japan once.” The same hopeful student argued.

“Sure, but a CEO is different than a world leader. You know how well guarded the President of the United States is? He’s treated like royalty!” A snooty girl retorted.

Morgana popped his head from under Akira’s desk. “We should use this time to our advantage. Wanna craft or read something?”

Sleeping would be nice, Akira thought. The one thing he absolutely hated about the Velvet Room is how tired he feels the next morning. It’s almost as if the room drains his life away. He started thinking about what Igor said last night. This idea of decisions kept coursing through his head. Ever since he woke up this morning, he considered all the decisions he had been making. What to wear today, if he should have coffee or curry for breakfast, if he should bring an umbrella today just in case. Every menial decision he made now seemed like a matter of life or death. It only made him more and more anxious.

He looked up at the classroom clock. Minutes ticked away. For some reason, he feared to go up to the school rooftop to see Makoto. He couldn't shake this looming fear. He knew he wouldn’t get hurt and that the worse Makoto can do is give him an earful. But he had a bad feeling about all this. A feeling that Makoto will tell him something that he probably doesn’t want to hear.

“Are you okay, babe?” Ann asked.

Akira broke his gaze and looked over to Ann. “Hmm?”

“You look tired.” She cocked her head slightly.

“Didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Oh no, why not?”

“Cause you weren’t with me.” Akira smirked.

Ann lightly blushed and look away. Her expression then melted into a serious one.

“H-Has Makoto contacted you after…”

“Yeah, she did.” Akira nodded.

“And?”

“I’m meeting with her after school. On the rooftop.” He rested his head on his arm and closed his eyes.

“Want me to come with?”

Akira shook his head and opened his eyes again. “She said she only wanted to see me.”

“That's…a bit suspicious. I think I should come.”

“I mean, it’s not gonna make much of a difference.”

Ann paused, then sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Plus, it would be less awkward.”

“I’ll let you know what Makoto says.” Akira yawned and laid his head on the desk. “Right now, I need to sleep.”

Ann giggled. “Good night sweet prince~”

Morgana popped his head out again. “Wait, did I hear that right? What does Makoto want?”

“It’s only between us.” Akira responded softly.

“You better not be cheating on my Lady Ann.” Morgana said sternly.

“Just leave her and I alone for a bit, okay?” Akira groaned.

“Okay. Sure…” The cat said suspiciously.

“Morgana…”

“Oh, alright. But if I JUST so happen to be in earshot and JUST so happen to listen…”

Akira groaned louder. He ignored the cat’s bickering and tried his best to fall gracefully to sleep. He tried to clear his mind of any negative thoughts. He convinced himself that everything was going to be fine. His luck hasn’t run out just yet. Maybe this whole “decision” stuff will be as easy as…

RING!

Before he could even realize it, the bell rang.

“Have a good day, everyone.” Kamakawi announced to the students as they left one by one.

Akira rubbed his eyes and got up from his seat. He stuffed Morgana into his backpack and followed Ann out the classroom door.

“Oh, Mr. Kurusu…” Kamakawi said as Akira walked past her desk. He stopped and turned to her, letting Ann walk out the door alone.

“I’m always available for our after-school activities.” She said to him a little more hushed.

Akira nodded. “Thank you, Miss.”

“You’ll call me, right?”

Akira nodded.

She nodded again with a light smile and returned to her work.

Akira left the classroom and met up with Ann in the school hallway.

“What did Miss Kamakawi want?” Ann asked.

“She offered a tutoring session.” He responded. It wasn’t entirely the truth, but he wasn’t straight up lying either.

“Oh…”

“Why? You jealous?” Akira smirked.

“God, no.” Ann chuckled. Akira snickered, but then turn straight-faced.

“Want me to walk you to the rooftop?” The blonde girl said.

He nodded and started walking. But suddenly, he felt something in his hand. It was soft, warm, and inviting. He looked down and saw Ann holding hands with him. He almost couldn't process it.

“Uhh…”

“What?” Ann looked at him innocently.

“You’re…” He held up their combined hands together.

“So? Isn’t this what couples do?”

“I thought you said you didn’t want the whole school to know.”

“Mmm…I did. But now I don’t give a shit anymore. Let them talk.” She gave a smug look on her face. Akira couldn’t help but lightly smile.

As they walked down the hallway, heads were already turning. From the expressions on some of the more gossip-loving students, this was going to be the news to rock Shujin. Girls were already whispering to other girls, giving either dirty looks or love-struck gazes. Guys were stunned beyond belief and start talking about how girls dig guys with criminal pasts.

Ann walked without a care in the world. She only looked at the one thing that was important to her in this moment. She could tell Akira felt awkward throughout this whole ordeal, but her reassuring looks made him loosen up a bit. He squeezed her hand tighter as they climbed up the stairs and down the corner, on their way to the rooftop entrance.

Once they arrived at the double doors, they stopped and kissed each other.

“Love you. Good luck.”

Love you too.” Akira smiled.  

Ann smiled wide and walked away. “See ya later~”

He watched the cute blonde leave down the stairs. He sighed to himself and took a moment to compose himself. Morgana crawled out of his bag and landed on all fours.

“I’ll walk around and come back later. Good luck.” The cat meowed and scurried away.

Akira sighed again. You know it’s bad when even a cat is afraid of Makoto. He’s reached the point of no return. He took a breath and opened the double doors.

The golden sun hit Akira like a punch to the face. He shielded his face and stepped out carefully as if entering an arena. Makoto was looking out on the skyline, clearly waiting for him. She turned around and, to Akira’s amazement, looked rather calm and subdued. Her red eyes met his gracefully, not filled with scorn. This relaxed him tremendously. His butterflies went away almost immediately when he saw her cool autumn eyes. However, he could tell that something wasn’t wrong with her. She looked just as concerned and anxious as Akira is.

“Hey…” She glanced away from Akira.

“Hey.” Akira responded, now more confident. He stepped closer to her. There was an awkward silence between the two. Akira studied Makoto’s face. Was she blushing? She was. She was blushing like a stereotypical school girl. Akira decided to break the silence.

“Look, I wanted to say I’m sorry--“

“No— I mean! I accept your apology…”  She stumbled. What on earth is eating up Makoto? This only made him more concerned.

“J-Just don’t do it again, okay? You both can do that stuff in your free time, but not in the Metaverse.” She finished. Akira nodded.

“But…that wasn’t the reason why I called you here.” She continued, looking at the ground.

“Makoto, are you okay?”

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Akira couldn’t stand seeing his friend like this, especially Makoto, who was the most head-strong of them all. What ever’s going on with her must be bad. Really bad. Makoto eventually looked up eye-to-eye with Akira.

“There’s a lot of things I need off my chest. Could we…um…go somewhere together?”

“Go somewhere?”

“I don’t care. Like Shibuya, Shinjuku…Akihabara?” She bit her lip.

“Makoto. What’s wrong? Just tell me. Please.” Akira persisted.

She sighed again, looking away. It took her a moment to speak.

“I-I don’t want you looking at me differently.” She muttered, her voice cracking.

“I’m not. I promise. You’re my friend, Makoto.” Akira stepped closer to her.

Makoto cringed at the word “friend”. Her eyes began to water. There was a look of resolve in Makoto’s eyes. She’s had enough hiding. Now’s the time. She took a commanding step forward and fiercely looked into his eyes.

“I’m in love with you, Akira!”


	11. Come Undone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the agonizing wait!

For a second, it felt like the world stopped.

Akira’s throat tightened. He looked down at the ground, stunned. His mind went blank. How on earth could anyone respond to that? Everything he knew (or thought he knew) about Makoto changed now. There was a part of him that wished she never told him, but it’s too late now.

Makoto’s face went from determined to horrified. Did she actually say that? Did those words actually escape her mouth? She wanted to hide and run away but a Niijima never backs out. She cleared her throat and tried to compose herself. She wiped the tears from her blushed cheeks.

“I-I’m sorry…” She managed.

Again, Akira found it hard to respond. He felt that sinking feeling in his stomach. He immediately thought of Ann. Thank God she wasn’t here with him or she’d be flying off the handles. His eyes suddenly widened. He immediately thought of everything that could possibly go wrong in this situation. He looked over to Makoto’s flustered face. She looked like she was dying. Akira has never seen Makoto so…human. She was reacting like a regular person would, no longer bottling up emotions or trying to evade. It was heart-breaking for Akira to watch her in such a state.

“I’m sorry if I made this too awkward. I-I’ll just…Let’s just forget this ever happened—“ Makoto began.

“No…” Akira managed to respond. Makoto gasped a little.

“So, you…wanna go to Shibuya or something?” He continued. “Just to talk things out?” He clarified.

Makoto studied his face, making sure he’s being genuine. “U-Umm, I-I would actually like to go to Akihabara instead. If that’s okay with you…”

Akira nodded carefully.

“O-o-okay…d-do you want to go now?” Makoto could hardly speak.

“Sure.” He nodded again. “Not for long, though. Ann and I had plans later--“

“O-of course…” Makoto interjected, looking down.

“Mind if I tell her?” Akira pulled out his phone.

“Oh no…go ahead…” She said dissatisfied as she turned her back from him. It was as if it pained her to say that.

Akira sighed and texted Ann.

> _Akira: Makoto and I are going to Akihabara for a bit. She’s a bit shaken up and needs someone to talk to._
> 
> _Ann: Oh my god. Is she okay? Want me to come with and help?_

He bit his lip. He looked up to Makoto, who’s back was turned completely away from him.

> _Akira: Don’t worry. It’ll just be a quick walk. I’ll be back later._
> 
> _Ann: Okay…Tell her I’m always here for her too._
> 
> _Ann: Love you._
> 
> _Akira: Love you._

He put his phone away and cleared his throat. Makoto swung her body over and lightly smiled.

“Shall we go?”

**~~~**

The train ride to Akihabara was awkward for Akira and Makoto. It was like they barely acknowledged each other. They spend the ride in silence, occasionally glancing at each other only to quickly look away. No more words needed to be said. Makoto said how she felt and that was that. Still, all this came as a shock for Akira. He thought back to all the times Makoto was acting a bit strange around him and the others. It all lined up perfectly. The snide remarks, the bossy attitude, the jealous tone in her voice. Out of all the things that could bother Makoto Niijima, he never expected this. On the flip side, he started thinking about how this could be healthy for her. Maybe this could encourage her to start expressing her emotions instead of bottling up all the time. This could be a valuable lesson in Makoto’s quest to become human.

Makoto, on the other hand, was not thinking as positively as Akira. Her mind was going haywire like a robot dunked in water. She struggled to process everything that just happened. This was the most nervous she’s ever been. Her heart raced, her hands fidgeted, her breath quickened. Her mind raced through millions of questions. What now? Why now? Does Akira hate her? He must. He’s only taking her to Akihabara just to be nice. Or is he? Why is he taking this so well? What would Ann think right now?

Makoto’s eyes widened.

Oh God, what if Ann was waiting at Akihabara for them? What if this is all set up? Oh no. Even if it wasn’t, what if one of their friends happened to be there and see them? She couldn’t be seen like this!

Makoto glanced over to Akira in a panic.

“Are you okay?” He whispered, concerned.

“S-Sorry…It’s just...ugh…” She looked away. No, there wasn’t any way she could hide it. She was flustered. She’s acting like one of those dumb school girls in those teen mangas. She’s better than that and she knew it. But still, she couldn’t help but feel this way around him.

“It’s fine acting like this, you know.” Akira replied.

Makoto snapped her head at him, a bit shocked. It happened again. Akira always seemed to know exactly what to say to you. It was a trait that lured her to him. It was a trait she wished she had. She studied Akira day in and day out, trying to find out what his secret is. The only thing she could deduce is that he’s simply a good observer and a people person. But there’s got to be more to it. A certain charm, perhaps?

“It’s all part of being human, right?” His lips curled.

Makoto chuckled. Instantly, her worries washed away as the train made its stop. Oh yeah, it’s a certain charm, alright.

“Oh, perfect.” She exclaimed.

The two got up and followed the evening crowd off the train. They were greeted by the neon lights of the Electric Town, as well as a few scantily clad girls in Maid outfits advertising their overpriced Maid Café.

“So, what do you wanna do?” Akira turned to her.

“U-Umm…this might sound a bit strange, but…I wanna go to the arcade.”

“That’s fine.” He ran his fingers through his frizzy hair.

“Thank you…” Makoto nodded.

Akira lead the way through the busy streets. A cacophony of noise around them. Vendors, chatting, electronic sounds. None of these helped Makoto’s nerves. She took a deep breath composed herself again.

“Alright. I’m sure you have a bunch of questions. Just go ahead and ask…” She blurted.

“Questions?” Akira responded.

“Y-Yeah…”

“About what?”

“You know exactly what!” Makoto raised her voice.

He pondered for a moment. “Where do we go from here?”

“What do you mean?” Makoto looked to the ground. “There’s only one way. We just pretend this never happened and don’t tell anyone.”

“To the grave, huh?”

“Precisely.” She nodded.

“Alright. I was thinking the same thing.” Akira replied quietly.

A moment of silence passed between them as Akira tried to think of another question.

“Why me?” He asked.

“How on earth could I answer that now, Akira…?” Makoto sighed.

“You don’t have to answer now…” He shrugged.

Makoto saw that they were almost to the arcade with claw machines. She walked ahead of Akira and grabbed his arm, tugging him to the arcade like a stern mother.

“No, I am.” She said commandingly.

Makoto whisked him away into the rows of claw machines until they stopped at one specific machine. Akira was a bit confused. Makoto stared into his eyes.

“Do you remember this place at all?”

Akira studied her face and nodded slightly. Makoto took a deep, long sigh and reached into her school bag. She shuffled through notebooks and books and pulled out a goofy looking bear with eye-hurting colors.

“This…This is where I fell in love with you, Akira.”

Akira’s eyes widened. It was all coming back to him. The day he brought Makoto to Akihabara for the first time. He never thought anything of it back then and he especially did not consider it a date. He did remember he was rather flirty with her that day since it was before him and Ann started dating. Besides all that, it was just another day with a friend to him. He didn’t expect such a tremendous result. Akira glanced at the bear and back to Makoto, who’s eyes began to water again.

“May I ask…what I did? Or what I said?” He responded.

Makoto shook her head. “So many things…” She welled up. “You saw me as a person. You always knew what to say to me when no one else could. You always believed in me even when circumstances said not to. I just…I just couldn’t help but fall for you.”

She squeezed the bear tight, holding back her tears.

“But I don't want this ruining our friendship. I may have special feelings for you, but you’re still my friend first and foremost.” She said, disappointingly.

“Besides, you have A-Ann. You both share something so s-special…I don’t want to get in the way of that.” She stumbled, looking away.

Akira had a feeling that wasn’t entirely the true story, but didn’t want to take advantage of her in this state. This was the most fragile Akira had ever seen her. Makoto carefully stuffed the bear back into her bag and blushed red.

“A-Akira…This might be a bit strange but…c-could you do me a favor?” She struggled to get the words out.

“Anything, Makoto.”

She took a deep breath and stepped closer, her head hanging low. “Hold me, Akira. I…I want to know what it feels like to be held by someone I love…”

Akira licked his lips. He felt a shock go through his body. A part of him told him this was the right thing to do, while another part encouraged him to stop while he was ahead.

It’s just a hug, he convinced himself.

He put his arms around her, letting her head rest on his chest. Akira felt Makoto’s sobs and sniffles on her chest. She wrapped her arms around his torso. Akira ran his fingers through her dark, auburn hair.

“Thank you…” She sniffled.

Akira didn’t respond. He closed his eyes, wondering what exactly he’s getting himself into. There’s one thing he knew, though. If Ann was here, she’d be seeing red.


	12. Another Nail In My Heart

The bull saw red.

And so did a cat.

Ann stood near the alleyway adjacent to the Akihabara arcade with the claw machines. Morgana perched himself on Ann’s shoulder, just as shocked as her. Akira and Makoto held each other way longer than Ann was comfortable with. It took some restraint to not march over and demand to know just what the hell was going on.

“Umm…is it just me, or are they…” Morgana began.

“Too close for comfort?…” Ann huffed, crossing her arms.

“Yeah…”

Sure, Ann understood that sometimes a girl needs a shoulder to cry on, but Makoto’s body language is saying something otherwise. Just who does she think she is? What makes her so special that she has to hug Ann’s boyfriend tightly? If something was truly bothering her, how come she’s only talking to Akira about it? Does she not trust the Phantom Thieves? Thinking about all this only got her more and more worked up.

 _What the hell am I doing just sitting here?_  She balled her fist.

_I need to stand up for myself. Akira is MINE and I’m not comfortable with them having their hands all over each other! I should just run up there and beat her pretty little--_

The blonde girl took a deep breath and looked at her feet,

She’s overeating. There has to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this. Ann always prided herself on how open-minded she was, but this really got under her skin. She was in shock for a moment. What on earth was she thinking? Beating up one of her friends all because of a hug?

“I would never do this to you, Lady Ann--“

“Morgana…please…” Ann sighed. She looked back up to see Makoto finally stepping away from Akira. They chatted a bit more, both nodding their heads slowly. If only she could hear what they were saying. She studied Makoto’s movements carefully. She was shaking a bit. Her stance was tight, almost as if she was ready to fight. She couldn't seem to look at Akira in the face anymore. Ann had never seen Makoto so…meek before. As if someone just gave her a heaping dose of humble pie.

“Well, go up to them! Confront them!” Morgana pushed.

“I can’t…” Ann sighed, “Makoto’s clearly upset. I’ll just ask Akira about it later.”

“Lady Ann, I know you’re stronger than that..." Morgana licked his paw. “But if that’s what you want. I’d still be cautious, though. Things just don’t look right to me.”

Ann didn’t know how to respond. Morgana hit the nail on the head. She sighed and looked at the Frizzy-haired boy. His weight shifted as he chatted with Makoto. He frequently ran his hand through his hair, a tattletale sign that he was nervous. Ann has been with him long enough to notice quirks like that. She bit her lip. She wanted to believe that this is all one big misunderstanding. Yet, she just couldn’t help but think of the worst possible outcome, the one she feared the most…Was Akira getting tired of her?

Ann looked to the ground again. She did everything in her power to not be so overbearing. Akira was Ann’s first true boyfriend. She did everything she could to keep the relationship afloat. She never wanted to lose such a wonderful person in her life.

Then suddenly, it dawned on her.

No. There’s no way Akira would leave her. They promised that they’d be together forever on that gorgeous twilight evening on the Ferris wheel. When she stared into Akira eyes that evening, she knew he was the real deal. She had never seen such commitment in a person’s eyes before.

She smiled a bit and perked up.

“I know. But I trust him.”

**~ ~ ~**

Akira stared blankly at the flashing screen in front of him. The nerdy, yet amiable male lead is serenading his insanely hot best-friend with a hokey 80’s song. Of course, the insanely hot best-friend (with perfect make-up 24/7) falls for it and finally realizes what she has in front of her all this time. Standard rom-com stuff. He ponders why Ann likes these movies so much. All of them just seem the same to him.

Here comes the kiss.

And…roll credits.

Ann cuddled close to Akira throughout the entire movie, closer than usual. Like a mother bear clinging to her cub. Akira broke off from her grasp to reach for the remote. He shut off the small, outdated television and got up to stretch.

“I thought it was cute.” Ann remarked.

Akira simply shrugged.

“Didn’t like it?”

“I liked parts of it.” He admitted.

Ann simply chuckled. “Next time you can choose the movie.”

“Akira! I’m closing up shop!” Sojiro’s voice boomed from downstairs.

“Okay. See ya, boss.”

“Bye~!” Ann yelled back.

The sound of the door slamming vibrated through the building. Now it was just them. Ann bit her lip, trying to think of a casual way to bring up Makoto.

“Hey! Guess what?” She blurted.

Akira looked over to her.

“…I love you!” She smiled.

Akira half-smiled. “Love you too, babe.”

“Don’t you wanna cuddle here? It’s nice and warm.” She shifted her body, making more room on the bed.  

The frizzy-haired boy climbed back in and wrapped his arms around her. Ann took a moment to appreciate the warmth. She turned her head to him and kissed his lips lightly.

“So…how was your day?” She began.

Akira shrugged. “So-so.”

“Yeah, same here.” Ann chose her words carefully. “Oh! How’s Makoto? Is she doing better now?”

Akira paused for a moment. Sure, the truth was that she’s doing much better now, but it’s not the full truth. He immediately started thinking of all the things Makoto told him. Did he really want to just throw her under the bus like this? He groaned.

“Yeah…but there’s something I have to tell you, though.” He let go of Ann a bit.

Ann’s heart sank. “W-what is it?”

He swallowed. “Promise me that you won’t tell anyone else. I already promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone, even you. But I can’t lie to you. You know that.”

“I…I promise…” Ann went frozen for a bit, yet managed to nod.

Akira sighed and moved closer to her ear. He whispered Makoto’s dirty little secret.

“SHE SAID WHAT!?”

Ann jumped from the bed. Akira tried to shush her, but it was no use.

“WHAT THE HELL IS SHE THINKING!?”

“Ann, calm down, please. I was able to talk things out with her.” He sighed.

Ann huffed and sat on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed.

“Don’t be jealous--” He continued.

“I’m not jealous…”

Akira glared at her. She huffed again.

“Look, I’m not mad that she…likes you like that. I’m more mad that she wanted to cover it up and not tell me—“

“Well, of course she wouldn’t tell you. She knew you’d react like this.”

Ann looked at her feet for a moment, then at Akira. “What did you two talk about?”

“She wanted to go to Akihabara and talk things out, so we did. We just kinda settled things there.”

“And?”

“She told me everything that she was feeling, then we decided to just stay as friends. What’s done is done.” He said simply.

Ann sighed, arms still crossed. “Okay. I’m glad you two were able to work things out.”

“I’m sorry, Ann—“

“No. It’s not your fault.” She replied, laying back down on the bed and snuggling close to him. “But may I make a suggestion?”

Akira nodded.

“I think it would be best if we don’t hang out with her for a while. I’m not saying indefinitely, but I think some distance will help her a bit.”

At first, Akira didn’t respond. He almost couldn’t believe what Ann was saying. She didn’t know Makoto the way he does. The thing is, Makoto NEEDS to reach out to others. She spent her whole life with a book in front of her nose that she doesn’t know how to properly express herself. Distancing from her will only make it worse. That and combined with her history of depression is a horrible mix. Akira wanted to say all of this to Ann, but it was best not to make the Panther screech louder.

“Okay.” He said.

“Good.” She grinned. “Thanks for telling me. I’m so lucky to have a trustworthy boyfriend.” She kissed him.

Akira grinned slightly. She was right. What boyfriend admits to his girlfriend about another woman? In a strange way, he could feel a closer bond with Ann. Yet still, Makoto still lingered in the back of his mind. Despite Ann’s best intentions, there’s no way Akira could just abandon her. After all, she needed him the most right now.

**~~~**

_It’s never gonna work out._

“You don’t have to rub it in…”

_When will it get through your thick skull!? He’s. Taken._

“Well…maybe there’s a chance…”

_Just get over him._

Makoto tossed and turned on her bed. Another sleepless night. She prayed for a day where she no longer had to be up all night. She closed her eyes. She could still feel Akira’s warmth around her body. She never wanted that hug to end. In fact, she secretly wished they could’ve done a little more…

She blushed immensely at the thought of that. What’s overcoming her? How could one boy make her think such thoughts? This is getting a bit out of hand. She needed to get her mind off things. But, no matter what she tries to distract herself with, her mind always goes back to a single truth; she was in love with Akira Kurusu, Ann Takamaki’s boyfriend.

_She’s prettier than you._

“Stop…She’s my friend…”

_Much more popular too._

“Stop. Now.”

_And she gets to have that man all to herself. Every. Single. Day._

Makoto balled her fist, taking deep breaths.

_Say it._

“No.”

_I know you want to. Go ahead._

“It’s not right.”

_Who cares? No one’s here. You can say whatever you want._

She groaned and smothered her face with a pillow. Thank God Akira isn’t here to see her like this. Sometimes it even scares herself. She took one more deep breath and laid on her side. Before she attempted to fall asleep for the umpteenth time, three little words managed to escape her lips:

“I hate her…”


	13. Either Way, It's Going Down

“Come on, just one more!” Ryuji huffed as he sprinted.

Akira coughed. His chest tightened. He should really get on a regular fitness schedule. All that curry, coffee, and Big Bang Burger have been getting to him. Beads of sweat ran down his pale face and drenched his shirt. And this was just their second lap around the school.

“You’re not giving out on me now, are ya?” The spiky-haired punk grinned.

Akira smirked and picked up his pace.

“Alright! There you go!” Ryuji egged him on.

The two ran around the school as if they were being chased by Shadows. Their sneakers hit the pavement almost rhythmically. Akira looked over to see his best bud grinning ear to ear. Akira could feel his legs give out, but Ryuji’s confidence irked him to keep pushing harder.

“You can do better! Imagine Ann waiting for you at the finish line naked!” Ryuji quipped.

Akira giggled and sprinted with all his might. The world became a blur around him. His senses dulled. Before he knew it, they finished another lap around the school. Akira immediately plopped down on the grass, panting. Ryuji bent over, hands on his knees.

“Phew! That was sweet!” The blonde exhaled.

Akira looked up to Ryuji, smiling. “I would’ve done better if Ann was here.”

“Sure you would.” Ryuji laughed, offering a hand to him. He pulled Akira to his feet easily.

“Thanks for coming, man.”

“No problem.” Akira replied.

“Wanna get some food?”

“Sure. But we’re walking there.” Akira chuckled.

“Only if you pay.” Ryuji smirked.

“Ugh, fine.”

The two snicker and casually walked off Shujin campus grounds, on their way to the nearest Ramen shop. Akira rolled up his sleeves. It was a particularly hot day today. There were talks of another heat wave making its way to Tokyo.

“So, how’s the girlfriend, huh? Getting on your nerves yet?” Ryuji smiled.

“You wish. Her and I are doing great, though.”

“The whole school is already talking about you two. Lucky.” Ryuji crossed his arms.

“About time you get a girlfriend, then.”

“Hey, I’m working on it!”

“Picking up chicks at the beach again?” Akira smirked.

“It’ll work one of these days…”

“Surprised you haven’t hit on anyone in the team.”

“I mean, there’s not a whole lot of options. Besides, you’re all like family to me. It’d be weird.”

“Well, if you had to choose, who would you date?” Akira asked.

Ryuji contemplated. “Hmm…I don’t know. Futaba’s cute, but she’s…you know. Haru’s pretty chill and has a nice ass, I guess.”

“What about Makoto?”

“Pfff! Me and Makoto dating? Yeah, right.” Ryuji scoffed.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re, like, complete opposites. It would never work out. Besides, I know she probably hates me.”

“What makes you say that?” Akira retorted.

“From the way she’s been acting lately. You’ve noticed it too, right?”

Akira hesitated for a moment but nodded.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s a nice person and a good friend, but she needs to get off the high horse. She thinks she’s so important because she’s got good grades.”

Akira kept quiet. If only he knew what Makoto’s going through right now. Akira wanted to open up to him, but that would just spell disaster. He decided to just nod through his mini-rant. Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He quickly checked it.  

> Ann: I ran into Makoto today…

Akira’s heart skipped.

> Akira: …And?

Ann took a while to respond.

> Ann: It was just in passing. She was clearly nervous around me. I casually brought up you and she seemed very…out of it.
> 
> Akira: Okay…
> 
> Ann: She definitely has some issues. I think she needs to work things out herself.
> 
> Akira: I don’t know. Can’t we all just talk about it? It seems kinda selfish…
> 
> Ann: I know it does… but Makoto’s a strong girl. I know she can figure it all out herself.

Akira sighed to himself. Are they even talking about the same person? This is the same Makoto Niijima who boxed herself from all of Shujin Academy and originally blackmailed the Phantom Thieves before joining the team. That is a perfect example of what happens when Makoto tries to “figure it all out herself”. He had the urge to tell Ann all of this like he wanted to before, but it would look wrong trying to defend another girl to your girlfriend. It’s like those crappy rom-com movies that Ann watches. For how generic they are, they’re surprisingly accurate. 

“What’s up?” Ryuji glanced over to him.

“Oh, nothing. Just realized I had homework tonight.”

“Shiiiit! Why did you have to remind me!?” Ryuji groaned as he opened the door to the ramen restaurant.

“I’ll catch up with you. Save me a seat.” Akira nodded to him. Ryuji gave his usual “’kay” response and walked in.

Akira opened a private chat with Makoto.

> Akira: Are you busy today?

**~~~**

Makoto waited outside Café LeBlanc as the golden sun began to set. She unbuttoned the top button of her school uniform to cool herself off. The heat today is simply unbearable.

Futaba stepped out of the Café with a light smile on her face, glad to see a familiar face.

“Hi.”

“Oh, hello Futaba.”

“You can come inside if you want.” Futaba gestured to the door.

“Oh, no thank you. I’m just waiting for Akira.”

“Tell him he still owes me a trip to Akihabara!” The redhead grunted.

“Oh? What are you two doing there?”

“Going on a date.”

“W-what!?” Makoto snapped. Futaba jolted, staring at her with wide-eyes.

“Umm, just kidding…he’s buying me a game.” Futaba took a step back, starting to twitch a bit.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…”

It was too late. Futaba awkwardly escaped the situation, heading her way home. Makoto groaned. Things are getting from bad to worse. She wonders why she even bothers. Day in and day out, it all seems to be the same. She screws up, someone gets offended, and then they never talk to her again. Wash, rinse, repeat. She typically accredits this to her poor social skills, but she wonders if people simply just don’t like her or want to be around her. Before she joined the Phantom Thieves, she was always the buzzkill everywhere she went. Students avoided her like the plague. Any school wrong-doers would halt at the sight of the fierce Makoto Niijima. Sure, the power was awesome, but it made Makoto look less human. Like she was truly an untouchable, unapproachable queen. It’s no wonder she became depressed.

Thank God she found the Phantom Thieves. Before them, it felt like she was sinking deeper and deeper into a hole. With the Thieves, she found a purpose in life, and more importantly, she found friends who will pick her up along the way. But now, the problem seems to be keeping these friends. Especially one friend in particular…

Akira casually strolled down the Yongen-Jaya walkway, carrying Morgana in his backpack. Just when he turned the corner, Makoto caught glimpse of him.

Her mood instantly perked up a little. She could never understand how he does it, but seeing Akira always made her day a little better. Maybe it’s his cool demeanor. Maybe it’s his charm. Who knows?

The cool-headed kid saw Makoto and lightly smiled.

Makoto shyly waved back. Maybe that’s it. Akira never seemed to be afraid of her. He never saw her as the harsh Student Council President. For once in her life, she felt human around him.

“Hey. Doing okay?” Akira walked up to her.

“Yes, thank you. Is something the matter? It sounded pretty urgent.”

“It’s not that bad. But I wanna talk in private, though.” He replied as he carefully put down his bag to let Morgana out. “Hear that, kitty?”

Morgana glared at Akira, as if he caught him red-handed with something “Okay… I’ll, uh, go around the block for a bit.”

Makoto raised an eyebrow as the cat pounced away. “What gotten into him?”

“No idea. He’s been acting weird lately.” Akira sighed. He opened the door to the Café for her. She nodded and walked in.

“Oh. You’re back.” A familiar voice greeted him. Sojiro glanced at Makoto and quickly adjusted his shirt.

“Hello, Mrs. Niijima. How’s your sister?”

“Fine, thank you. But you can just call me Makoto, Boss.”

“Makoto Niijima?” Another familiar voice called. Akira held back a small sigh.

Akechi spun on his barstool chair and unleashed a massive grin once he laid eyes on her and Akira.

“Oh! And Akira Kurusu! My two favorite individuals. How are you two?”

“Fine.” Akira blurted.

“Same.” Makoto nodded, putting up her usual defensive front. From all the talk she’s heard about Akechi from her sister, she decided it would be the best course of action.  

The ashy-haired boy looked over to Akira.

“Funny to see you two here. I thought for sure you would walk in with your girlfriend…unless I’ve been mistaken?” He glanced at both of them.

Makoto tried her best to hold in a blush.

“She’s my study partner. We’re just about to head up.”

“Oh, I see. Pardon my assumptions. As a detective, it’s always important to have a strong hunch. Am I right?” He looked over to Sojiro for approval.

Sojiro unenthusiastically nodded.

Akira and Akechi’s eyes met. Akira kept his eyes glued to the young detective as if he was having a stare off with him. The detective eventually broke eye contact and stood up from his chair.

“Well, I hate to intrude. Good night.” He nodded to the three and left the café briskly.

Makoto let out a sigh of relief. “I don’t know why, but he really gets me on edge.” She whispered. Akira nodded.

“You’re right, Akira. He acts like he’s always up to something.” Sojiro admitted. “But whatever. You two heading up? I’m about to close up shop.”

Akira nodded as they headed to the back of the room.

“It was nice seeing you, Makoto.” The old man nodded.

“Likewise.” Makoto smiled lightly, following Akira.

The two walked up the creaky stairs to Akira’s bedroom, putting their bags down on the table next to the stairs. Makoto sat down on Akira’s bed.

“Need anything? Water? Coffee?”

“No thank you.” Makoto shook her head.

He nodded and sat next to her.

“So, what’s the matter?” She blinked.

Akira paused for a moment. He had a whole mini-speech planned, but he figured it would be best to speak from his heart. “Ann knows.”

Makoto simply looked to the ground. It went awkwardly silent. They could hear every footstep Sojiro took getting ready to close the shop. Akira expected Makoto to burst, but she took it surprisingly well. Once they heard the door close, Makoto spoke up.

“Did you tell her?” She asked flatly.

“I had to.” Akira replied quickly. Makoto kept her gaze on the ground. Oh no, Akira thought. Did I just break Makoto Niijima?

“And?”

“She…She took it well. But she said something that kinda concerned me…”

“What was it?” She looked over to him.

Akira sighed. “She didn't want me seeing you for a while. She said it’d be best for all of us, but…it just doesn’t seem right.”

Makoto looked back down at the ground. A few tears rolled down her face.

“Well?”

“Well…what?”

“Are you going to follow her advice?” She asked, heartbroken. Akira shifted closer to her and lightly rubbed her back.  

“I don’t want to. You’re my friend, Makoto. I’m not gonna just ignore you when you’re down. That’s just wrong.”

Makoto looked at him, swept away by everything he’s saying.

“I…just wished things could work out better. I don’t know what to do.” He finished.

Makoto looked at the ground again. Her tears started falling harder. She curled up a bit, sobbing. Akira simply massaged her back, not sure what to say.

“I…I…I respect her decision--“

“No, you don’t.” He replied bluntly.

She gasped and looked up to Akira. He gave her a stern gaze, like a teacher who just repeated something to the class for the millionth time.

“Makoto, I know you. You never back down this easily. Stop lying. It isn’t good for you.”

“I-I’m not lying—“

“Makoto.” Akira replied sternly again. “I want you to tell me the truth, okay? How do you really feel? Just let it all out.”

Makoto curled up into a ball again. She was clearly bottling up a lot of things. She balled both of her fists as her breath quickened.

Akira was about to say something, but then she suddenly sprung up from the bed and turned to Akira, her red eyes filled with rage.

“I HATE HER! I HATE HER GUTS! She gets everything she wants all because she’s a hot blonde! I worked HARD to get where I am, but she gets a free pass for everything!?” She exploded. Akira was speechless, mouth hung wide open. This was a side of Makoto he feared to see.

“She doesn’t deserve you, Akira! It’s like she doesn’t know what she has in front of her! She just has to rub it in ALL of our faces that you're her boyfriend! Give me a break! She’s such a…ugh!...She’s such a--”

“I’m what, Makoto?”

Akira’s heart sank to the floor. He felt an electric shock through his entire body. He slowly turned his head to the stairs, seeing Ann march up the stairs with eyes screaming bloody murder. Akira has seen plenty of death glares in his life but if there was a way to contain the glare Ann has right now, it would probably scare off every Shadow in the Metaverse.

“Go ahead, Makoto. Finish your sentence.” The blonde crossed her arms.


	14. A Heartbreaker's Code

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akira done messed up...
> 
> And so did I! 
> 
> After some thinking and reading your comments, I decided that the original ending to this chapter was indeed just…off. It was out-of-character, shoe-horned, and just left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. My bad. I wrote what I thought would be melodramatic without really considering the source material.
> 
> That being said, I decided to tweak the ending of this chapter. Much of it is the same, except for an ending that is less controversial. Don’t worry, this won’t change the plan I have for the rest of the story. I truly appreciate everyone’s criticism and strong feelings towards this chapter.
> 
> And on that note, just to make things clear: Even though this is my first attempt at fan-fiction, I don’t want people to think I’m doing this edit just because I’m getting bossed by the fandom to do so. I’m a screenwriter turned fan-fic writer. I edit my work all the time based on feedback. Besides, the Persona 5 fandom is one of the best fandoms I’ve ever been involved in and I’m proud to be writing my first fan-fic for it. So again, thank you all!
> 
> So anyways, enough yapping. Time for some Phantom Thieves drama…

Makoto’s mind kicked into high gear.

In that moment, she didn’t care where she was, who she was, or what tomorrow will bring. All that mattered was the imminent threat in front of her.

Her sister called this “a Niijima’s intuition”, a phenomenon most commonly found in the Niijima family when approached by a threat. You suddenly become so determined that the only thing that matters is defeating whatever is in front of you, no matter the cost. Sae always trusted her “Niijima intuition” in winning hard cases. Makoto’s father relied on this intuition when posed with a threat while working in the police force. So on and so forth.

Surprisingly, Makoto had never been in a situation which needed her intuition. Until now. Her mind raced like a computer, processing every possible way to get out of this situation:

Appease.

Flight.

Confrontation.

Reverse psychology.

Physical contact.

Makoto stared at Ann like she wasn’t human. She couldn’t even remember what she was mad about in the first place. She looked over to a shell-shocked Akira, a look of pure fear frozen on his face.

Ann peered at the two like she just caught them making love. It may have been a harmless chat, but she was clearly taking things personally.

“Well? I’m waiting.” She demanded bossily at Makoto.

Akira glanced over to see Makoto clench her teeth and ball her fists. Never a good sign. His instant reaction was to brave for the worst. He took a step closer to the two, trying to close off the gap between them.

“Can we all just take a deep breath here? Please?”

“How can I relax when she just insulted me!?” The blonde retorted.

“He wanted to hear how I was feeling, so I gave it to him.” Makoto let every word attack Ann. “Believe me, right now I can say much worse.”

“Then why don’t you, then!?”

“Believe it or not, I don’t want to burn a bridge.” Makoto simply glared.

“Funny. Maybe you already burned it…” The blonde glared back.

“Ann, don’t say that…” Akira shook his head.

“No, Akira. I spoke my mind. It’s her turn.” The brunette remarked.

“Thank you. I’ll keep it brief. You get anywhere near him again, I will claw your eyes out. Okay? I understand that things are eating you up, but if you needed help, you could’ve come to me or the others. I don’t appreciate you trying to steal my boyfriend.”

“Ann, it’s not like that--” Akira interjected.

Ann quickly snapped her head to him. “I thought I could trust you more, Akira. I should ask why you’re even with her right now in the first place!”

“I was only trying to help a friend.”

“A friend who has a crush on you! You know how that looks, right!?” She swung her body towards him.

“I know it looks bad--”

“Then why did you do it!?”

“DON’T TALK TO HIM LIKE THAT!” Makoto blew up, tears brewing in her face again. She marched closer to Ann, blocking her view of Akira. “This is between you and me, leave him out of this!”

“Excuse me, who are you telling my boyfriend what to do!?”

“You forget that he’s my friend as well. And to be frank, I don’t see how he puts up with a jealous bitch like you!”

Ann gasped, mouth wide open. “Call me a bitch one more time. I dare you.” She stared her down, growling.

“Jealous. Bitch.” Makoto took a step forward with each word, now only inches away from her opponent. Ann flinched, taking a step back from her. A clear sign of fear. A perfect opportunity for Makoto to take advantage of.   

“W-Well, look who’s talking! You were just saying how much you envied me, you hypocrite!” Ann screamed in her face.

Makoto glared, balling her fists tighter. “I don’t want to fight with you, Ann--” Her voice began to crack.

“Neither do I, but you need to stop pulling my boyfriend into your bullshit!”

“Ann. Come on. Let’s go downstairs.” Akira tugged her by her arm. She let him guide her down the stairs, not giving Makoto a single glance. Makoto quickly sat down, fuming.

At the base of the stairs, Ann took a deep breath as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

“Okay, seriously, what’s wrong?” Akira spoke up.

“What the hell do you mean what’s wrong? She’s trying to take you away from me. Can’t you see that!?” Ann replied in a hushed tone.

“We were just having a friendly chat.”

“Sure, it starts off as a chat, then she gets all lovey-dovey with you like that one time in Akihabara!”

Akira gasped, eyes widening.

“Didn’t think I saw that, huh? Morgana did too. In fact, he told me you two would be here!”

Akira wanted to strangle that damn cat right about now.

“Look, all I’m saying is stop blaming everything on her.” He said, trying to keep his cool.

“Why are you defending her? Don’t you think this is kinda messed up!?”

“I do! I really do! And I was trying to talk things through with her and you’re just making things worse!” Akira sternly raised his voice.

She let out a small gasp and shifted away from him. She stared at Akira like he was a lone stranger. It was the first-time Ann ever heard him yell and she wasn’t prepared for it at all. Akira took off his glasses and rubbed his face, sighing. It was as if the Akira she knew suddenly disappeared.

“I’m sorry--”

“No. I’m sorry for being a nuisance…” Ann said quietly, tears falling from her crystal eyes.

“Ann…” Akira started. But by the time he put his glasses back on, Ann briskly headed for the café door, holding back sniffles. He ran to her, but she closed the door right in his face.

Akira slammed his head on the café door and cursed himself as he heard Ann’s footsteps slowly drifting away. His luck just ran out. He knew it would all come back to bite him in the ass eventually.

Makoto carefully trod down the stairs.

“Akira?”

He didn’t respond. He stayed still like a statue. Makoto stepped closer to him, sobbing.

“I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t mean…”

Akira turned to her, bearing the meekest look Makoto had ever seen from him. He rushed to her and held her tight. He rested his head on her shoulder, softly whimpering.

“It’s not your fault.” She assured him, rubbing his back.

Akira wanted so desperately to believe that, and even if it’s partly true, he still felt like he had to take some accountability.

“I need to lay down.” He managed.

Makoto nodded and gracefully guided him back up the stairs. She held onto his hand tight as they ascended. When Akira looked up to her, she looked a guardian angel whisking him into his own private heaven: the attic. When Akira eventually got on his bed, he looked up to Makoto, her face illuminated by the casting sun-set. Now she  _really_  looked like an angel. Comforting, assuring, yet motivating. He couldn’t help but give a soft smile.

“I-I should be going.” The angel spoke, looking away shyly.

“No. Stay here. Please?” Akira softly begged.

Makoto blushed wildly. No person has ever said that to her. Her heart began to melt. Yet another example of Akira’s intuitive and irresistible charm. The frizzy-haired boy looked at her like a lost, desperate puppy. She found it rather cute, despite the circumstances.

“J-Just for a little bit. It’s a school night…” She quivered.

Akira shifted over to make room on the bed for her. Makoto turned redder, but couldn’t deny his invitation. She straightened out her skirt and laid on the bed next to him. Her heart raced like a stereotypical schoolgirl. This was a whole day of firsts for her. Her first use of the infamous Niijima intuition and the first time she's been in another boy's bed. Akira closed his eyes and sighed softly. There's so much he wanted to do. He wanted to run after Ann, but his body just wouldn't let him. He felt drained. Emotionless. Like nothing else mattered anymore.

"Is...there anything I can do for you?" Makoto asked.

Akira shook his head. "Just...stay here."

He needed someone next to him. His mind started spiraling down a dark hole. He needed someone to remind him that he wasn't alone. He hasn't felt like this since he first moved to Tokyo.

Makoto took off Akira’s glasses and set them aside. She studied every detail of his smooth face like a book. The way his cheeks flawlessly flow down to his chin. How his jet black hair seemed to compliment his pale skin. It was the first-time Makoto saw him without his glasses and she wanted to explore every facet.

"Akira..." She said softly.

"Hmm?" Akira groggily opened one eye.

"No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you. Okay?" 

“Thank you.” He nodded, closing his eyes again as he turned his body away from her. Makoto moved closer and gently hugged him. Silence passed between them. They simply enjoyed each other's company, even if it was rather quiet and anti-climatic for Makoto. She wanted to apologize for how she acted, but she figured it would be pointless. What’s done is done. If Ann no longer wished to be friends, so be it. She yawned and gently shut her eyes, trying to focus more on the man she finally has next to her.

This was everything she ever wanted; to not be alone in bed anymore. And she wanted to savor every second of it.


	15. Incidents and Accidents

“Hey…kid…”

Akira groaned as drool slowly dripped from his open mouth. He felt a tiny nudge on his shoulder.

“Come on, Akira…”

The boy’s eyes hazily opened as he slurped up a bit of drool. He rolled his body over to see Sojiro towering over him with his typical hard-ass glare.

“You know what time it is, right?” Sojiro said.

Time to sleep? Time for me to do the dishes? Time for me to go--

Suddenly, it clicked.

Akira hurriedly checked his phone. Damn it. He already missed the first train to Aoyama-Itchome.

“You and…your friend here should hurry up.” The old man finished.

Friend? What is he…?

Akira pulled back the covers to see Makoto peacefully sleeping. He looked back up to Sojiro, who was already crossing his arms.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she—“

“Save it. Just go to school.” Sojiro sighed as he crossed the room to go downstairs. Akira quickly shook Makoto.

“Makoto. Makoto. Wake up…”

“Hmm…” She hummed, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Then she suddenly bounced up with a grief-stricken look, as if the world was ending.

“What time is it!?”

“We already missed the first train.” He said, getting off the bed to quickly put on clean clothes.

“Oh God…” Makoto turned white, looked like she was about to faint.

“If we hurry now we can make the next one.”

“Ugh, looks like I’m gonna be working overtime for the Council…” Makoto jumped up to look in a mirror to check her hair. She casually checked her phone and her eyes bugged out. She missed six calls and a dozen texts from Sae.

“Oh no…”

“What?” Akira glanced back at her while putting on his socks.

“I need to call my sister. I-I’ll see you later.” Makoto rushed down the stairs, passed Sojiro making a fresh batch of coffee, and out the door.

The moment she dialed Sae, she picked up.

“And where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick!” Sae screamed.

“I know, Sis. I’m sorry. I-I was tutoring a friend last night and lost track of time.”

Sae gave a disappointing groan. “You’re in _big_ trouble, Makoto Niijima.”

“I know, it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.” Makoto said sprinting out of the Yongen-Jaya walkway and towards the direction of the nearest train station.

“And where on earth are you right now!? The school called and told me you’re late! You’re never late!”

Makoto gulped.

“I-I’m at the front gate right now, don’t worry.”

“Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. You and I need to talk after school. This is completely unlike you, Makoto.” Sae spoke sternly, sounding just like their mother.

Makoto couldn’t respond. There were no excuses for what she did. She let Sae rant on as she walked down the steps to the train terminal.

~~~

Mrs. Kamakawi was in the middle of her lecture when Akira finally walked in. He tried to be subtle about arriving late, but it only drew more attention to him. Students did their normal gossipy chatter.

“Uh oh. Busted…”

“Just like a delinquent…”

Kamakawi looked over to him with a semi-surprised expression.

“Mr. Kurusu, you’re late.”

“I know, miss. I apologize.” He bowed apologetically. As he bowed, he caught a glimpse of Ann who was at her regular seat. She glanced back at Akira and then down at her desk, biting her lip slightly.

“Unfortunately, I have to write you up. Please take your seat.”

Akira nodded and made his way to his seat. When he crossed Ann, she quickly looked up at him and then out the window awkwardly. When Akira sat down, she started nervously playing with one of her pigtails.

Awkward silence between the two lasted throughout Kamakawi’s lesson until the bell rang. The silence was broken by a school bell, the screeching of chairs, and gossiping students.

Ann quickly put her books in her stylish backpack and went straight for the door.

“Ann. Wait.” Akira said, following her out the classroom door.

Ann merged into the hustle and bustle of the hallway, but it’s pretty easy to spot the only blonde girl in school. Akira tailed her, calling out her name to get her attention. She kept walking ahead as if he never existed. Hw was ready to scream for her, but didn’t want to cause a scene.

Ryuji walked out of his classroom to greet Akira and Ann with all smiles.

“Hey! What are we--“

They pass Ryuji without a single word.

“Uh, okay. Don’t tell me anything, then. Got it…” He leaned up against the wall, annoyed.

Further down the hallway, Ann turned down the corner and spotted a tired looking Makoto stepping out of the Student Council office. She glimpsed at Ann, then panicked. Her Niijima intuition kicked in again as she tried to rationalize the situation and pick a suitable response.

“I’m not here to yell at you. I was hoping we could talk. Please?” Ann began. 

Makoto decided to go for the cold shoulder.

“We said everything we needed to say last night.” She replied, looking away. Her response shocked Ann, but she tried not to show it.

“Makoto, please. I’m willing to talk things through if you’d let me.”

“I’m surprised you even want to talk to a boyfriend-stealer like me.” Makoto spoke in a hushed, guilt-ridden voice.

“You said it yourself. I burned a bridge and it’s all my fault. I’m sorry. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to work overtime due to being late. Goodbye, Takamaki…” She walked away, sighing.

Ann blinked. That was completely unlike Makoto. So much so that she had to do a double take just to make sure she was talking to the right person.

A group of footsteps surprised Ann. She turned to see Akira, awkwardly running his fingers through his unkept hair. Her eyes sparkled when she saw him, but couldn’t muster up the courage to speak. Seeing how relieved Ann looked comforted Akira a bit, but he still struggled to find the right words to say. They stood in awkward silence, the only sound they hear is the chatter of other students walking by.

“Umm…” Akira finally broke the silence.

“Wanna go get crepes?” He said as a last-ditch effort.

Ann couldn't help but softly chuckle as a faint smile graced her. She nodded.

~~~

“I’ll guess I’ll start…” Ann said, nervously poking her strawberry crepe with a fork. The sun was beginning to set as they sat at their favorite spot in Inokashira Park; a bench overlooking the lake. It was the perfect spot to play a game: The Truth Game. Each person will have a turn asking a question and the other must be up-front about their answers. No stalling, no long winded answers, and no arguments. That was the rules set by both of them.

Just before Ann spoke, Akira caught glimpse of a middle-aged married couple riding a Swan boat. It must’ve been a special day for them. They only focused on each-other's company as the Man rowed. It was a rather cute, picturesque site. One that Yusuke would gush over.

Akira quickly looked back to Ann and nodded.

“What did you and Makoto do last night?…”

Akira looked down at his chocolate crepe, then back to her.

“She stayed at the café and we talked things over. I crashed and thought she went home but…turns out she slept next to me all night.”

Ann tightened her grip on her fork. She took a breath to calm down.

“Okay. Your turn…” She said, taking a timid nibble of her crepe.

“Do you trust me?” Akira asked bluntly.

“I do. It’s just…it’s hard to read you sometimes.”

Not the first time Akira’s heard that. He nodded, signaling her turn. Ann closed her eyes.

“Do you hate me?”

“I could never hate you, Ann. I love you.” He shook his head. Ann opened her eyes and smiled warmly at him. Akira half-smiled as well, but it slowly went away as he asked his next question.

“Why did you come to the café last night?”

Ann paused.

“Morgana told me you two were alone and that it looked suspicious. I only came to check up on you, but then I heard her yelling about me. I just…I just snapped.” She replied, looking at the ground.

Akira looked at his barely touched crepe and took a small bite. He looked over just when a slight breeze came through, making Ann’s hair flail a bit as she kept her gaze on the ground. Again, it all looked like it stepped out of an impressionist painting Yusuke would rave about.

“Do you love Makoto?” She asked dramatically. 

Akira paused to choose his next words carefully.

“I...admire her a lot.”

“That’s not really what I asked.” She replied softly, not even looking at him.

“It’s hard to answer a question like that.” Akira said timidly with a shrug.

Ann simply sunk her head lower. “It’s your turn…”

“Ann, I’m sorry--“

“It's your turn.” She repeated gloomily.

“I don’t want to play anymore. Let’s talk.” He put his crepe down and shifted closer. Ann did the same. She softly laid her head on Akira’s shoulder. He took a big sigh.

“I love you, Ann.”

“I love you too, Akira. More than anything.” She held his arm, squeezing tight.

“That’s the problem….” Akira sighed. She looked up at him, confused.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way. But…sometimes, I think you love me a little too much.” He said carefully, hoping not to offend.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you this…I was kinda pissed when you told me not to talk to Makoto. You told me not to help our best friend when she needed it. I’m not trying to argue, but it concerns me a little…”

Ann went silent for a moment. Akira feared a fiery outburst but was shocked when he saw tears stream down Ann’s face.

“You’re right. I know I overreacted. That’s why I wanted to apologize to Makoto today, but she just brushed me off. I feel terrible, I really do. I’m afraid I lost a friend…” She wiped her tears off on Akira’s jacket.

“We can go talk to her together. She’ll open up to me.”

“No…I’ll just ruin everything like I always do.”

“Don’t say that.”

“But it’s true.”

“Ann…” Akira raised her chin and planted a loving kiss on her lips.

“It hurts me seeing you like this. Don’t beat yourself up, okay? Everything’s gonna be fine. I’ll always be here with you. I promised, didn't I?” He smirked confidently.

Ann blinked as her cheeks flooded.

“I don’t know how you do it.” She smiled radiantly.

“Do what?”

“Make me feel like I’m the most important girl in the world.” She said simply. She then muttered something, but immediately blushed and covered her mouth.

“What?”

“N-Nothing--”

“Doesn’t look like it.” Akira gave his devilish smile and lightly poked at her rosy cheeks.

“I said ‘I guess that’s how Makoto fell for you’…” She covered her face in embarrassment. “I’m sorry! That’s was so wrong…”

Akira simply chuckled while blushing. He put his arms around Ann and held her tight. Ann finally revealed her red face and nervously laughed. She looked over to the lake to see more couples in Swan boats glide by without any care in the world. She couldn’t help but see her and Akira on one of those cheesy boats in the future. Perhaps with a little convincing, she’ll convince him to get on one. But for right now, she was content being held by her shining light.

Not bad for a first argument, she thought.


	16. In For A Loop

“Why are you trying to jeopardize your future!?” Sae screamed.

Makoto quietly sat on the sofa of their apartment as her sister berated her.

“Is this some sort of a game to you now? To see what you can get away with!? Look, I understand that you’re top of your class, but that doesn’t give you the right to do things like this!”

“Sae, it was an honest accident.” Makoto pipped up.

“Accident or not, this is completely unlike you.” Sae spat back. “What’s gotten into you? Is there something we need to talk about?”

“No…I’m so sorry, Sis. This will never happen again, I swear on it.”

The prosecutor sighed and sat next to Makoto.

“Look, I’m just glad you’re safe. I thought the worst happened to you.”

Makoto hung her head low. “If you want to ground me, go ahead.”

“I don’t see a point. You already know what you did is wrong.” Sae began. “But, Makoto…”

Makoto looked up to her sister.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need to see someone?”

_I do, goddamnit…_

Makoto simply shook her head. “I’ve…just been a little stressed, that's all. It’s nothing to be worried about.”

She got up on her feet. “I have to study…” She added as she sulked to her room.

Sae couldn’t help but sigh. Makoto was always a tough nut to crack. To be fair, Sae was the same way growing up. She always wanted what’s best for Makoto because that’s what their mother and father would’ve wanted as well. But damn it, sometimes she wished Makoto would open up every once and a while with her. Even though they’re sisters, there’s always this barrier between them. Especially when it came to emotional things such as this. Makoto was never one for emotion, however…

Sae took another breath. Unfortunately, It’s no use. Makoto will eventually deal on her own like she typically does. Unfortunately, she has bigger fish to fry. Like those damn Phantom Thieves.

~~~

Akira climbed up the stairs of Leblanc and the first thing he saw was Morgana lying on his bed, licking himself as if nothing ever happened. Akira loudly cleared his throat, making the cat jump.

“O-Oh! H-Hey!” The cat exclaimed.

Akira simply glared at him.

“S-So, umm…how was school today? Sorry I wasn’t there, I had to…umm…do a thing with Ryuji…” Morgana purred nervously.

Akira didn’t respond, intensifying his glare. Morgana sighed and hung his head low.

“I’m sorry...I thought I was helping Lady Ann…”

“You nearly cost me a relationship, Morgana--”

“I said I was sorry! I wanted to do what felt right.”

“You can’t always jump to conclusions.” Akira sighed.

“I know that now…” Morgana sank lower onto the bed. “If you hate me, just say it…”

“I don’t hate you.”

“You don’t have to be nice about it.”

“You’re still my friend, Morgana.” Akira sat on the bed. “I mean, in all honesty, I would never have met Ann without you.”

The cat perked his ears. “Huh?”

“Think about it. You practically help formed the Phantom Thieves. You’re the one that tied us all together. Ann would never even knew I existed without you. I have to thank you. Honestly.”

Morgana slowly beamed.

“You need to trust me a little more. Did you honestly think I’d cheat on your Lady Ann?” He smirked.

“I mean, she’s pretty flawless isn’t she?” The cat blushed.

“Exactly. I’d never do that to either of you.”

“You’re a lucky guy, you know that?” The cat stretched, chuckling.

They both laughed.

“So, that out of the way, what’s up with Makoto?”

“Ugh, It’s a long story. I’m actually about to head over there with Ann to settle things.”

“Okay! Let’s go!” Morgana jumped off the bed and on the floor, ready to go. Akira simply picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

“Oh no. You’re not getting off that easy.”

“W-Wha!? B-But--!”

“Ann and I are going alone. But I have a task for you to do.” The boy grinned.

“W-What do you want me to do?”

“More like what _I_ want you to do~” A familiar girlish voice rang from the stairs. Futaba stood at the top of the steps with a small grin.

“W-what!?” Morgana went slightly pale.

“One of the things on my promise was ‘walk a dog’…but we don’t have a dog…so why not a cat instead?” Futaba chuckled.

“You can’t be serious…” The cat shut his eyes and facepalmed.

Akira giggled as he handed Morgana over to Futaba. The red-head hooked a pink leash on his collar.

“This is so degrading…” Morgana sulked.

“Ah, toughen up.” Akira chuckled. “Have fun, you two.” He finished as he walked down the stairs.

“Ah well…” The cat sighed to himself. “Can’t get any worse from here…”

“Alright!” Futaba perked up. “Time to walk all of Akihabara like I planned!”

Morgana died a little bit inside.

~~~

Arm in arm, Akira and Ann stepped off the subway and onto the busy street right outside the Niijima apartment complex.

“Ready?” Akira tugged her. Ann confidently nodded. He smiled and kissed her cheek as he pulled out his phone.

> _Akira: Hey._
> 
> _Makoto: Hi._

Her speedy reply made Akira feel a little uneasy.

> _Akira: Ann and I are outside your place. She wants to talk to you. We can go get food later?_

A moment. Ann bit her lip. “She doesn’t wanna see me…” She said to herself. The phone finally buzzed.

> _Makoto: Give me a sec._

“Okay, she’s coming out.” Akira put his phone away. Ann laid her head on Akira’s chest and heard his strong heartbeat. He slowly ran his fingers through her lush blonde hair. They stood out on the street as businessmen casually walked by.

“I’m sorry for putting you through all this.” Ann said.

Akira shook his head. “No more apologies. This is for you, not me.” He smiled.

“Ugh. Could you, like, stop being so perfect?” Ann warmly smiled.

Akira looked up and saw Makoto coming out of the Apartment complex. Her eyes looked slightly puffy as if she just came out of a small crying fit. She approached them like a woman on a mission.

“You said you wanted to talk to me?” She spoke like a businesswoman.

“Y-Yeah.” Ann cleared her throat. “Makoto, I said very hurtful things to you that I didn’t mean…”

Makoto simply looked at her blankly.

“I overreacted because Akira’s my first boyfriend and I’m not really used to this kind of stuff. But I’m still learning. And believe me, I’ve learned from my mistakes now. You’re an amazing friend and I don’t want anything between us.”

Makoto glanced at Akira, then back at her.

“I accept your apology.” She put out her hand. Ann awkwardly shook it. Akira raised an eyebrow.

“Umm…anything you want to say?” Ann continued.

“I have nothing else to say.” She replied coldly. “I would like to get back to my studying, thank you.”

“Sure you don’t wanna hang out?” Akira added.

Makoto looked at him like a calculated robot and shook her head. “Enjoy your time together.” She finished as she walked back into the building.

“She’s acting so off…” Akira said worryingly.

“I felt it too. It’s like something’s eating her up.” Ann replied. “Akira, I’m getting really worried. We should do something.”

“I know. I just don’t know what.” The gears in Akira’s mind started turning. “Talking to her seems to do nothing…”

“It’s like…she looks at us different all of a sudden. Like she doesn’t see us as people anymore. Just what the hell got into her?”  

“It’s almost as if her heart’s distor--” Akira’s eyes widened. It suddenly hit him.

Ann looked over to him worriedly. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

She watched him pull out his phone and tapped the sinister Nav app, making her gasp.

“You don’t think…?”

Akira took a deep breath and raised the phone to his mouth.

“Makoto Niijima.”

_Beep._

It was a hit.

That was the one sound neither of them wanted to hear. They both eyed each-other, flabbergasted. Akira felt disillusioned. This has to be a sick dream, right? He’s going to wake up in his room as if coming back from the Velvet Room. He slowly looked back down at his phone. Nope. This was real. Makoto’s name was on the Nav with the horrid words “PALACE FOUND”.

Ann yanked out her phone and frantically texted everyone in the group chat, except for Makoto.

> _Ann: Emergency meeting. Now._


	17. The Masque

It was terribly quiet in Akira’s room. The only thing breaking the silence was Sojiro’s espresso machines downstairs. The Phantom Thieves sat in disbelief. There was so much that needed to be said but they couldn’t express it for the life of them.

“This can’t be. Persona users can’t have palaces…at least that’s what I thought.” Morgana broke the silence.

“So lemme get this straight…” Ryuji began. “If Makoto’s got a palace…” He paused, taking a moment to realize how insane that sounds. “Then she must see us differently, right? What the hell even caused this?”

“It’s my fault…” Ann put bluntly.

“No it’s not--” Akira shook his head.

“Yes it is, Akira. Don’t try to butter me up about it. I pushed her over the edge. I know I did.”

“What exactly are you referring to?” Yusuke spoke up.

“Makoto and I had a bit of a falling out. It was childish and stupid. But every time I tried to fix things, she kept ignoring me.” Ann replied.

“What caused this ‘falling out’, as you say?” Yusuke blinked.

“I’d...rather not say. It’s pretty personal.” Ann sighed.

“But it could be critical. We need to know everything that could have caused this. As Morgana stated, this is not a natural occurrence.”

The frizzy-haired boy sighed again. “This doesn’t leave this room, okay?”

Everyone nodded.

Akira took a long sigh and started to explain the whole situation, from the very beginning. When he revealed Makoto’s big secret, the whole room went still. Small gasps of “No way” were exchanged. Futaba’s face looked beet red especially. By the time he got to the part with Ann and Makoto’s fight, Ryuji was on the edge of his seat.

“Oh shit, did you two, like, throw fists or something?”

“I am literally going to kill you…” Ann spoke sternly at him.  

“Hey, I was just wondering…” He grumbled.

“So, anyway, when Ann and I tried to talk to her today she looked really out of it. Not even in her usual way. It was too suspicious. We feared the worst and…yeah. That’s what happened.”

The silence was deafening. Everyone looked at Akira then at each-other with wide eyes.

“What a predicament, indeed…” Yusuke exhaled.

Haru’s jaw hit the floor. She seemed way more shocked than anyone else. For as long as she’s known Makoto, this changed everything. She always assumed she was simply not into romantic relationships of any kind.

“You forgot the part where it’s my fault--” Ann sulked her head. Akira was about to reply, but Morgana interjected.

“Look, whose fault it is doesn’t matter right now. We need to focus.” Morgana stood up to address everyone. “This is a very special case. Like I said, I always assumed Persona users could never have palaces. But then again, this is the Metaverse we’re talking about here. Just about anything goes. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we need to steal Makoto’s heart. Starting now.”

“What’s the rush?” Ryuji raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I wanna help her too, but you make it seem like she’s dying or something.”

“That’s because she might be. A persona user with a palace could only mean one thing: it’s gonna be more difficult than anything else we’ve ever dealt with. Who knows what the long-term effects of this will be on her. It’ll hurt her. Badly.”

That hit Akira and Ann like a dumpster truck. They couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of physical and mental pain she must be going through.

Akira stood. “In that case, we need to pinpoint her palace and secure the route today. No stalling. Everyone agree?”

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji grinned.

“Let’s do it for her.” Haru smiled.

“Anything to help a friend.” Yusuke nodded.

“Time to bring my A-game!” Futaba declared.

“Even if I started this or not, I’m sure as hell going to end it.” Ann assured herself.

“It’s unanimous--” Morgana called.

“Hold on. You forgot my say…” A boyish voice called from the stairs. Everyone stopped and turned to the voice’s direction.

Akechi scaled the stairs, a confident yet transparent smile on his face. Akira’s muscles tensed the moment he heard him.

“Pardon for me intruding. I could imagine how hard it is for all of you to go through something like this. I wish to help. For Makoto’s sake.”

“I mean, we’re gonna need all the help we can get…” Morgana replied.

Akira simply stared the ashy blonde down. “What do you want out of this?”

“You’re way too cautious.” He chuckled. “I simply want to help a person I respect greatly. The Niijima family has done a lot for me.”

Akira still glared at him, disapprovingly. He turned to his friends. Everyone else looked around awkwardly. But then, Morgana gave a small nod. Then Futaba. Then Haru. Then Yusuke. Ryuji hesitated but nodded with closed eyes. Akira turned to Ann. She didn't nod, but he could tell from the determination in her eyes what her answer was.

“Akira. Trust me.” He added. “I’m merely offering help.”

Someone could cut the tension with a knife. Ann squirmed in her seat. She’s never seen Akira so concentrated.

“Okay.” He finally said.

Akechi flashed a huge smile and nodded. “I won’t disappoint.”

“So, now it's settled.” Morgana chimed in. “We need to pinpoint the exact location of her palace. Any ideas?”

“Easy. Shujin Academy. That school means everything to her.” Akira said simply.

“Absolutely.” Haru confirmed. “If she had a palace, it would be our school.”

“Alright, to Shujin it is…” Morgana nodded.

**~ ~ ~**

_How foolish of them. Apologizing out of pity. No matter. You don’t need them…_

Makoto sat upright on her bed, clutching the cheap stuffed bear. She closed her eyes.

_You don’t need anybody. Not like they care about you anyway. The only thing that is important is yourself. Your studies. Your ambitions. Nothing else matters._

She opened her eyes and looked at the bear with hideous colors.

_He played with your heart like a toy. Will you really stand for that? The almighty Class President? How dare he…_

She began to tear its seams, slowly yet delicately. She ripped out the stuffing forcefully with clenched fists.

_And don’t forget that bitch of his. Trying her hardest to make up for everything. How pathetic. She needs to learn the hard way that there are no second chances._

Makoto nodded as she took the destroyed bear and threw it at the plain white wall.

_Good. Channel your passion. Breed your anger. Awaken to me._

_I am thou, thou art I. Thou has awakened to their Shadow…And now, the show begins…_

**~ ~ ~**

It was a particularly cold day. The legendary Phantom Thieves stood in front of the locked gates of Shujin Academy, trying their best to look as inconspicuous as possible. To the average person, they’re just meddling kids looking to stir up trouble. To them, however, they were on a mission unlike any other.

Akira quickly opened the Nav app on his phone.

“Alright. Let’s throw some words around. How would Makoto see this school?” Morgana said.

A moment passed.

“A castle?” Ryuji snorted.

The app beeped twice, meaning denied.

“A zoo?” Haru tried.

Denied.

“A library? A hall of records?” Akechi suggested.

Denied.

“This is harder than we imagined…” Yusuke sighed.

“Let’s gather all we know about Makoto and try to pinpoint it from there.” Akira said.

“She’s diligent…motivated…a little bossy sometimes…” Ann trailed on.

Akira’s mind clicked. It’s a bit far-fetched, but it might just be crazy enough to work.

“A circus.”

DING!

“Match found!” The Nav cheerily announced. Everyone stared at their leader, amazed.

“I don’t know how you do it.” Morgana smirked.

“For real? It has to be a circus? Why can’t it be a mall or something?” Ryuji groaned.

“What made you instantly think 'circus'?” Futaba asked, cocking her head.

Akira adjusted his glasses. “What do all circuses need? A ringleader...”


	18. Red Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long time, no see!

When Akira pressed the ominous app on his phone, a red and black void greeted them. The real world faded away before their eyes. For a moment, it felt like they were falling down a black hole…deeper…deeper…until they find themselves still standing. The thieves took a moment to check their surroundings. Nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone had to do a double take.

Did they even enter the Metaverse? It still looks like they’re outside Shujin’s gate.

Yusuke looked down at his body. “I’m not in my uniform.”

“Me neither…” Haru seconded.

“Hmph. This is rather peculiar.” Akechi frowned, seemingly disappointed.

“Guys, look at Akira and Ann…” Mona pointed out. Everyone glanced over. The couple was in their regular Metaverse outfits.

“They’re the only ones in their outfits. That means Makoto only sees them as a threat.” The cat continued.

“My, this is more personal than I could ever imagine.” Akechi said with an off-putting smile.

“We could use this to our advantage. If we’re not threats to her, then that means we can slip under the radar.” Futaba said.

“So, where exactly is her palace? Everything looks the same—” Ann said.

“Uh…guys…” Ryuji said chillingly, his mouth agape as he pointed up at the sky. Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing at. They all gasped, eyes wide.

Shujin Academy was no more. In its place, an enormous red and black circus tent. Just the kind you would see at an extravagant carnival. Bright spotlights shine up, dancing around in the sky. Faint cheers from inside the tent, alongside pompous brass music. To the left of the tent stood a heart-shaped sign painted black. The sign had a teddy bear with its beady button eyes poked out. A large dagger ripped through its chest. The bear bled red paint where the dagger hits. What the sign read was just as chilling as it’s imagery…

_The Circus of Red Death_

“Red Death…” Yusuke repeated. “How macabre.”

“Sounds like a death metal band. What’s it supposed to mean, anyway?” Ryuji quipped.

“ _And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night_ …” Akechi said dramatically like a real thespian.

“ _And darkness and decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all_ …” Akira gravely finished.

“You’re very well read, Akira.” The detective grimaced.

Ryuji darted his eyes at the two, confused. “Uhh…am I hallucinating or somthin’…”

“A short story by Edgar Allen Poe. A beautiful piece of writing. I wonder how it connects to Makoto’s palace…” Akechi answered.

“Only one way to find out.” Akira nodded, briskly running up to the gigantic tent. The others followed suit.

The thieves stomped on the gravel path leading to the gigantic tent. Everything else around the tent was bare and oddly colorless. It looked as if you were given a “paint-by-numbers” page and the only colors allowed were white and gray. All the life has been sucked out of everything. The only color or warmth that emitted was from the circus of death in front of them. The lights around the tent were bright, blinding even. As the thieves approached, they had to progressively shield their eyes. Akira put his arm over his eyes…

BAM!

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

Akira hit the floor. He quickly adjusted his hair and looked up. A man stood. Agitated. His hands at his hips. The man glared as he turned his back on Akira. In front of this man was another person…and another…and another…and another… It finally clicked. The line to get into Makoto’s show was out the door. People from all walks of life: Men, women, children. All eagerly waiting to see the big event.

“Must be pretty popular.” Mona observed. “Looks like we have to find another way around.”

“Guessin’ we don’t get friend discounts.” Ryuji quipped as he picked Akira up from the gravel.

“Wait a second…Don’t these citizens look a bit…odd to you?” Haru said.

Akira and the other did a quick once-over on them. They look pretty normal at first glance. Just the kind of people you would expect at a circus. Family units, couples on dates, young children riding on the shoulders of their parents. As Akira stared, however, he did start to see something a bit off. They all hardly cracked a smile. They all looked resentful, hateful even. But who goes to a carnival unhappy? Everyone, even the children, stares in front of them with dead baggy eyes and somber expressions. They look as if they’re in line for a funeral…or worse.

“Let’s check around the side. There has to be a backdoor somewhere.” Ann spoke determined. Akira nodded in agreement.

**~ ~ ~**

The elusive Phantom Thieves walked for what seemed an eternity around the tent, looking for any sort of vantage point. It already started wearing them out.

“Ugh! If only I had my persona. I could do an area scan and get us in seconds flat!” Futaba groaned.

“Yeah, we’re wasting time…” Ryuji huffed.

“For once, I agree with Skull.” Mona said. “All this pacing is getting us nowhere. We need to think outside the box.”

The team took a moment to rest. A thunderous roar of joyous screams blares from inside the thick tent walls rather clearly.

“Look!” Haru exclaimed, pointing at the sky. Everyone does. There was a small flap open on the top of the tent.

“Looks like we found our opening. Thanks, Haru.” Akira smirked at her.

“You’re more than welcome.” The fluffy haired girl chuckled.

Akira scanned the area for a moment. There was a stack of crates near where they stood. He briskly went over to them and pushed them a little to the left, below where the opening is.

He took a few steps back and cracked his knuckles. He then ran full speed ahead at the crates and leaped up into the air. He grabbed on the edge of the crates and pulled himself up. He effortlessly continued climbing all the way up to the opening of the tent.

“Tch, show off.” Ryuji rolled his eyes, smirking.

One by one, the rest of the team followed Akira’s steps. Not being in their thief uniforms made them a little less nimble. As the team climbed up, another round of thunderous cheering came from inside. Akira bit his lip in nervousness. He wondered what kinds of horrors are inside this gigantic tent. The mind of Makoto Niijima can be a cold place, as he has learned before. But still, something else has been eating him up inside.

This was all his fault.

He kept enabling this and now he got all of his friends involved. All day, too many things ran through his mind. I should’ve done this, I should’ve done that, I flirted with her too much, I got too attached, I should’ve let her down easy…But the past is in the past now. It’s no longer a matter of who said what and when. It’s about saving a friend. Someone he loves.

Akira took a glance at Ann, who was already about to climb into the opening flap of the tent. She glanced back at him with an equally worried expression. Seeing her face relaxed him. He was glad he wasn’t alone. He took a short breath as he helped her get into the opening.

It’s his responsibility to end this now.

**~~~**

The opening leads nowhere.

No, really. It didn’t.

The moment you climbed through, you were free falling right to the cold, hard ground. Akira, Mona, and Ann were able to land pretty smoothly. The rest of the team, however, were not so graceful.

“Goddamn. It.” Ryuji exclaimed with his face directly on the ground.

“Is everyone okay?” Haru asked concerned.

“Noooooo…” Ryuji moaned as he pulled himself up.

“A few minor bruises. Nothing of concern.” Akechi said, dusting himself off.

“Same here.” Yusuke chimed.

Futaba was stuck in a fetal position on the ground, shaking. She looked incredibly pale and her breathing was way faster than normal.

“That. Was. Terrifying…” She managed to utter.

Akira took the moment to assess the area they were in. It was brightly lit. There was make-up stands neatly lined up against a wall. The whole room was covered head to toe with mirrors. No doubt about it. They were in the dressing room. There were rows of different costumes laid out. But they weren’t colorful like you’d expect at a circus. They all had the same color scheme of red and black. And oddly enough, except for the thieves, not a single soul was inside.

“All right. No time for lounging about. We have to find Niijima’s treasure.” Akechi said as if he was the leader. It rubbed Akira off the wrong way.

“First off, we need to find our way around. A map should do it. There’s bound to be one around--”

“THE HELL ARE WE SITTING AROUND FOR!? YOU’RE ON IN TEN SECONDS!” A booming voice echoed.

Everyone jolted and darted their eyes to the direction of the voice. A huge, burly man clutching a clipboard marched up to the thieves. He wore a simple black shirt and a black hat that simply read “Stage Manager”. He also wore a headset connected to a walkie-talkie.

“Come on! Chop chop! What are we waiting for!?” The Stage Manager clapped his hands. “You two are in costume but the rest aren’t!”

“Oh, they’re not part of the act. It’s just us two.” The blonde in the red suit said confidently.

“That’s right! We’re just big fans cheering them on!” Haru added.

“Alright. Whatever. You two. Let’s go.” The stage manager barked, grabbing Akira and Ann forcefully by the arms.

“Guess it’s showtime…” Akira quipped as they got dragged out the doors of the dressing room. The rest of the team followed behind.

Leading right out the dressing room doors was a massive stage waiting for them. It was spacious and colosseum-like, with rows of seats reaching high and low. Akira, Ann, and the rest of the team took a moment to look out as far as they could see into the crowd. Not an empty seat in sight. This made sense because it was loud. Almost ear-splittingly. Even Mona covered his small pointy ears. The stage itself was just a large empty space shaped in an oval. However, there was a gaping circle-shaped hole in the middle of the stage.

The stage manager pulled the two to the edge of stage right and stopped. He turned to them, hastily. “Wait for your cue!”. Ann turned to her boyfriend, confused. Akira gave a small nod, to say “play along”.

A grand brass fanfare began to play from a large orchestra pit off stage. The house lights go dim. Two spotlights shine down and begin to dance around the stage in circles.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls of all ages. Welcome.” A dark yet surprisingly calming voice echoed through a large surround sound system.

The whole team looked at each other. There was no mistaking that voice.

“Now, the show can finally begin.” The voice continued.

Ann gave another uneasy look to Akira. This time, he didn’t reciprocate. He was anxiously waiting for the big reveal. More thunderous cheers from the frantic crowd. The two spotlights rest at the middle of the stage, where the giant opening is.

“QUEEN! QUEEN! QUEEN!” The audience began to chant. As soon as they started, the ground started to shake.

“QUEEN! QUEEN! QUEEN!” Their shouts made the ground shake louder, faster.

“QUEEN! QUEEN QUEEEEEEEEEN!”

An elevated platform began to rise from the crater in the middle of the stage. Standing on the platform was a legion of every different kind of animal you can think of. Bears, giraffes, tigers. You name it. The animals roared as they circled around a motorbike on the middle of the platform. But it wasn’t just any motorbike. It was silver and chrome with an angelic blue face on the very front below the handles. The motorbike’s face looked like it was crying...

It was Johanna, Makoto’s persona.

And sitting side-saddle on this motorbike was the girl of the hour, the ringleader of the Circus of Red Death; the Shadow of Makoto Niijima.

The shadow looked out to her audience. Her brunette hair was noticeably longer, all parted to the right. It made her look much more like her sister. She wore a small Victorian top hat with dead roses pinned on it. A red and black corset snug tight to her body, complimenting her ripped fishnet stockings. She smiled wide and blew kisses out to everyone wearing fingerless gloves.

“I LOVE YOU, QUEEN!”

“SHE’S SO SMART AND BEAUTIFUL! I WANNA KILL MYSELF KNOWING I’LL NEVER BE AS PERFECT AS HER!”

“WILL YOU MARRY ME!?”

Her bright yellow eyes glowed intensely as she put a megaphone up to her mouth, amplifying her voice throughout the entire stage.

“You’re all too kind. I don’t deserve such an adoring audience…Oh, who am I kidding? Of course, I do~”

“She certainly knows how to make an entrance.” Yusuke quietly whispered to the rest of the group.

“You think she has the outfit in the real world? Cuz…damn…” Ryuji said, eyeballing her.

Akira stared transfixed at Shadow Makoto. Gone was the calm and collected student body president who preferred to be the support system of the team. Standing in her place was a clear antithesis. She’s power-hungry, made clear from her body language. The light in her eyes from being the center of attention means she gets no thrills from anything else. It was strange seeing Makoto behave this way, yet, Akira couldn’t keep his eyes off of her as she flaunted herself out to her audience. This confirmed Akira’s suspicion: Makoto runs the show around here. She gets what she wants and that is her twisted heart’s desire.

“Once again, I’m so very sorry for the delay, my beauties. Apparently, _some_ people aren’t reliable…” She growled in disgust.

Her crowd booed and jeered.

“They’re nothing more than her pawns.” Ann whispered to Akira. “They don’t think or act for themselves. All they do is validate her. This is so messed up...Is this really her heart’s desire?” She became more frightened as she spoke.

“But no matter!” Shadow Makoto continued. “Do you know what we do to people who aren’t reliable? Who build you up just to lie and cheat you?”

“PUN-ISH THEM!” The crowd frantically chanted. A sinister smile came across Makoto’s face.

“That’s right my beautiful children. Punishment fit for a QUEEN!” She screamed authoritatively.

“I really don’t like this…” Mona admitted nervously.

“Well, I hate to keep you all waiting. Let’s get to the moment we’ve all been waiting for~” She revved up Johanna and zoomed off the platform, making loops around the stage. She suddenly stopped her spinning and gave a sharp glare at stage right, where Akira and Ann stood. If looks could kill, they would both already be on the ground. Shadow Makoto’s piercing yellow eyes were so full of hatred and disgust that it sent a sting all over their bodies.

“Bring. Her. Here.” She said, letting every word fall like chunks of ice.

“Go! You’re on!” The stage manager pushed Ann.

The blond gulped as she looked straight ahead. She might as well be walking into his own funeral. She quickly looked at Akira, panicking. He nodded, mouthing “I love you”. It assured Ann a little bit as she began to walk on stage.

The moment she walked out onto the stage, Ann was bombarded by two things: a spotlight so bright it blinded her and loud heckling from the audience. They acted as if she was a criminal, yelling countless obscenities and even spitting at her. It was degrading. It made her feel lower than dirt. Shadow Makoto dismounted Johanna and marched up to the accused like a bull seeing her red jumpsuit. She stopped once she was mere inches from Ann’s face. The Shadow pierced her again with her glowing yellow eyes, not breaking eye contact.

“Makoto. I’m sor—”

SMACK! Ann hit the ground faster than you could blink. Everyone in the audience laughed and applauded, except for the phantom thieves. Akira clenched his fist, mustering all the strength he had to not intervene. If this Shadow can knock one person down in one slap, then one wrong move means the whole team is dead.

“Do you expect forgiveness, you little rat?” Shadow Makoto began, resting her foot directly on Ann’s defeated head.

“Nothing you say will delay your punishment! I’m going to play you like YOU! PLAYED! ME!” She stomped on her after every word. More cheers from her enslaved audience.

“Makoto…please…” Ann begged. Shadow Makoto grabbed her by the neck, raising her up.

“Keep begging for your life. It’s music to my ears.” The Shadow growled, grinning ear to ear.

“Makoto, snap out of it! This isn’t like you!” Ann pleaded.

“DON’T TELL ME WHO I AM!” The Shadow threw her on the ground like a ragdoll. The phantom thieves flinched while the audience continued their cheers and heckles. “PUN-ISH! PUN-ISH!” They began to chant. Shadow Makoto walked up to Ann as she lied motionless on the ground. She flashed an evil grin as she raised her foot for one final blow…

“MAKOTO!”

The whole arena went silent. Everyone’s eyes darted to stage right. Akira stepped up like he meant business. Even the audience let out a long “Ooooh!”.

“I’m the one you want.” He said.

“Oh, you’re most certainly right.” Shadow Makoto grinned at the presence of the gentleman thief. She ignored Ann all together as she sauntered up to him. She put her arms around his neck and lightly rubbed her nose against his.

“Don’t be frightened, my love. I was only trying to protect what’s mine.”

“Wonder what that is…” He responded blankly.

She erupted into a long hearty laugh. “Oh don’t be foolish. We both know what’s best for _us_.” She tugged him closer.

“Makoto, you know how much I—”

“Love me?” She smiled.

“How much I respect you.” He corrected as he took off his mask. “But this game you’re playing is tearing us all apart. It needs to stop. Now.”

Makoto frowned. “You think this is a game? You’re one to talk, Mister heartbreaker extraordinaire. Don’t think I didn’t notice those little hints you dropped on me before you decided to go for… _her_ …”

Akira sighed again. He knew exactly what he was talking about. The “dates” at Akihabara. The “quest to become human”. The claw machine. The light teasing he would do when the others weren’t looking. The night Ann left…

“I know what I did but that all doesn’t matter right now—”

“DOESN’T MATTER!?”

Before Akira could react, his entire body was flung over to the other side of the stage. It sent the audience into a frenzy as if they just witnessed a death-defying stunt.

“STOP TOYING WITH MY EMOTIONS! You ALWAYS do this to me, Akira! First you want me, then you don’t, then you want me back. WHICH IS IT!?”

Akira simply lied on the cold grown thinking just that. His reputation as a silver-tongued gentleman thief was catching up to him. No matter what he says, no matter how hard he tries to remain neutral and hope for the best resolution for both parties, the situation just keeps getting worse. For a brief moment, he thought back to that one night in the Velvet room when Igor delivered those haunting words that have lingered in his mind since.

“ _Soon, you shall be left with a choice. If you make the right one, it will further your rehabilitation..._ ”

His choice was now made apparent right in front of him…

“The answer is ‘NO’ because HE’S WITH ME!” Ann retorted as she picked herself up. The crowd collectively boos at her as she does so.

“Oh, don’t you start again. Unlike _you_ , I’m actually letting him speak.” Shadow Makoto whipped her head towards her.

“You know what you are? You are such a sore loser. Haven’t you ever heard of ‘live and let die’?”

“I can’t just give up how I feel about someone! You’re so inconsiderate!”

“ _I’m_ inconsiderate!? I catch you trying to get with _my boyfriend_ and _I’m_ inconsiderate!? You need to stay in your lane!”

“Oh, okay. Is stopping you two trying to fuck in Mementos a part of ‘staying in my lane’, then?"

“That is such a cheap shot! That has nothing to do with this!”

“STOP IT!” A bright voice called out.

The two girls whipped their heads stage right to see Mona and the rest of the Phantom Thieves stepping up to the plate.

“What is wrong with you two!? We’re supposed to be a team here and you’re letting some love triangle ruin that?” The cat exclaimed.

“This is about more than _that_.” Shadow Makoto sneered at them. “This is about people toying with me and expecting to get away with. This is about me being expected to not get what I want. This is about me being disrespected…”

“Makoto, what are you talking about? We all respect you so much.” Haru said, trying her best to sound as calming as possible.

“Liar! I know exactly what you all say behind my back. Especially you, Sakamoto!” She pointed at Ryuji. He instantly gulped.

“ _She’s such a bitch. She’s so bossy. She needs to lighten up, fo’ real!_ ” She imitated him.

“Makoto, I—” Ryuji began.

“It's too late for that! Nothing any of you say will change anything!"

“We’re trying to help you. We care for you.” Futaba said worryingly.

“This is not about us. We only want you to return safely.” Yusuke added.

“Stop lying to me!”

“We’re not lying!” Ann screamed back. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn't care for you! No matter what, you’re our friend!”

“It’s over, Niijima. This has gone for far too long. You’re clearly outnumbered.” Akechi said sternly.

Shadow Makoto glanced at all of them, her eyes glowing brighter than before. Flustered, she belts out a horrifying scream. It was enough to have everyone cover their ears.

“Fine! I see how it is! Your true colors have shown. If you’re not with me, YOU’RE AGAINST ME!”

The moment she finished, all the phantom thieves' uniforms materialized on their bodies in an instant. Shadow Makoto gave a whistle and Johanna came charging at her. She leaped up and landed perfectly on the bike. She rode over to Akira, grabbed his limp body, and threw him on the bike with her. "If I can’t have what I want, neither will you!” Shadow Makoto barked at them all. And with that, she rode off stage left as the audience feverishly applauded. All the thieves panicked as they watched their leader get whisked away. And just as they were about to chase after him, they heard a mechanism beneath their feet unlock…

The next thing they know, they were plummeting into complete darkness…


End file.
